>Tara's POV<
I was in the living room watching TV in some pink fuzzy pajamas. I'd spent the majority of the day sleeping in my room.
Chad went out to hang out with a few friends, but I just didn't feel like going out today. Mindy's little "friend" Max left sometime early in the afternoon, and I was waiting on Mindy to come out so I could bug her.
>text from Chad<
[Chad: You feeling ok? I guess I just don't feel alright being out if you're sick or something]
[Me: no I'm ok, you're cute tho😭I'm not sick, just... tired, I guess]
[Chad: Oh okay, just checking. I'll bring your salad on the way home]
[Tara: tyy lovely💖]
[Chad: always💙]
I ate a few more pieces of popcorn when I heard footsteps in the hall and turned.
"MINDER MINDER!" I yelled at Mindy.
"Oh Goddd." I she said, dragging her feet.
"Come here!" I yelled excitedly.
"I was trying to creep past you too, wolf ears." She said, coming to sit next to me in a little Stewart sweater.
"Is that Max's SWEATERR?!" I squeaked, shaking Mindy.
She hid her face with her hands.
"MINDYYYY! I'm so happy for youu!" I said.
"Yeah, I'm happy too." She said, kinda sad.
"Doesn't sound like it, was it boring?" I asked.
"No, it was magnificent." She fell back with a pillow on her face.
I laughed a bit. "So what's wrong, love?"
She sat up with the pillow in her lap and frowned.
"I guess I just feel guilty... because of Anika, and I know it's been almost a year, but..." She trailed off crying a bit. I hugged her as she did.
"A year isn't that long, you know?" She sniffed. "And I still miss her and love her, and I hurt every day... but I'm also in love with Max. For some reason, I feel terrible." She said.
I held her face and kissed her forehead.
"Look at me." I said lowly.
She sniffed and then looked up at me, wiping her tears.
"Anika loved you a lot, and because she loved you, she fought for you to live. She let you go first because she was so far gone. Already having lost so much blood... there was barely a chance she'd make it to the hospital if she crossed Mindy." I explained.
Mindy sniffed and nodded.
"She put you first because she knew she was dying. She died for you to live, Mindy. That means she wanted you to live and be happy and fall in love again and move on. If you blow this thing off with Max... her sacrifice was in vain." I said.
She wiped her tears with a napkin before looking at me again.
"Ya know, when some people comfort me, it feels meaningless, kinda like they're talking in circles or acting like they care..." She said.
I nodded.
"But when you talk to me, your words have make sense to me, and I walk away from the conversation feeling a lot." She smiled.
"Well, that makes me happy." I said, crying a little myself.
"You're right, though." She said.
"You go ahead and love Max Mindy." I said, smiling at her.
"I will." She smiled back.
"That guilt... I know that feeling. Chad and I dealt with it about Liv and Wes." I said.
She nodded.
"Chad and I carry that grief every day, but we know they wouldn't want us crying every single day." I said.
"It's hard." She replied.
"Yeah." I sniffed. "You can grieve, and you can be in love with Anika. She had a sweet soul. It's ok to be in love with that. Don't feel any guilt for that because... I know Chad thinks about Liv sometimes. Doesn't mean he loves me any less."
"Come here missy." Mindy said.
We hugged a moment before the front door opened.
Danny walked in first and put some bags on the counter. Sam followed with a pack of chocolate muffins and looked over at us, worried. I guess she could tell we had been crying.
"What's wrong?" Sam asked, concerned.
"We just had another little intervention, it's ok." Mindy laughed and hugged me.
"I love you." I said, still hugging her.
"I love you too." Mindy replied.
"You guys love me?" Sam joked.
We laughed again and got up to hug her.
"I have muffins for hungry kids." Sam said.
We sat to the table, and all enjoyed some treats together.
