Meredith's sister

49

Teddy's POV

The hours dragged by like a slow-moving river, each minute stretching into an eternity. Teddy sat in the same spot, her back against the wall, staring at the empty space where Mia had once been. The room felt hollow now, as if Mia's absence had sucked all the air from the walls, leaving nothing but an overwhelming silence. Every corner of the house seemed to echo with memories of her—her laughter, the soft hum of her voice, the way she'd move about, filling the space with her energy.

She wasn't here anymore. And Teddy couldn't seem to grasp the reality of it. She had been there, just this morning. Alive. Full of life. And now, the world felt different. Cold. Empty. Like a broken puzzle where one piece, the most important piece, had been lost.

Her phone buzzed, pulling her from her thoughts. It was a text from Amelia.

"I'm almost there. Hang on, okay? We're all coming. We're with you."

Teddy wiped the tears from her eyes, trying to steady her breath. She knew they were on their way, her heart aching for what they were about to walk into. Mia's sisters—Mia's family—were coming. And though Teddy had tried to prepare herself for their grief, for the pain they would feel when they saw the empty space that Mia had left behind, nothing could make it easier.

The doorbell rang, breaking the stillness, and Teddy's heart jumped in her chest. She hadn't been expecting them yet. She quickly wiped her eyes and rose to her feet, her legs shaky, as if her body didn't quite want to function properly anymore. She walked slowly to the door, her hand hovering over the doorknob as she gathered what little strength she had left.

When she opened it, she was met with the faces of Mia's sisters—Meredith, Amelia, and Maggie—standing there, their expressions a mix of disbelief, sorrow, and shock. They were all holding it together, or at least trying to. But their eyes told the truth. The truth that none of them had been prepared for.

Meredith was the first to speak, her voice barely above a whisper. "Teddy... is it true?"

Teddy nodded, the lump in her throat growing impossibly larger. "She's gone. Mia's... gone."

Amelia didn't speak at first. She just closed her eyes, as if trying to block out the reality of it, and Maggie's face crumpled in an instant. The tears started to fall, slowly at first, but then they came in a flood.

"Why didn't you call us sooner?" Maggie choked out, her hands shaking as she stepped into the house, her voice breaking. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I... I didn't know how," Teddy admitted, her voice small, as if the weight of the words could crush her. "I didn't know what to say, what to do. I—I thought she'd wake up. I thought maybe—maybe there was still time."

Meredith's arms were around her before she could finish speaking, pulling her into a tight hug. "You shouldn't have had to do this alone," Meredith whispered into her ear. "I'm so sorry, Teddy."

Teddy clung to her, letting the tears flow freely now. She couldn't stop them. She couldn't stop anything. Not the hurt, not the emptiness. Not the unbearable ache that had taken root in her chest the moment she had found Mia.

"We'll take care of her," Amelia said quietly from behind them. Her voice was trembling, but there was a strength in it. The strength of someone who knew how to keep going, even when everything felt like it was falling apart. "We'll do what needs to be done. We'll make sure she's okay."

Teddy nodded, her heart heavy with the weight of everything that had happened. "I just... I just wanted her to get better. I wanted her to see Allison grow up. I wanted—"

"I know," Maggie interrupted, her voice thick with emotion. "We all did, Teddy. But she's not in pain anymore. She's at peace. We have to remember that."

Teddy stepped back, letting the sisters come in, their presence both comforting and unbearable. She wanted so much to just be in Mia's arms again, to feel her there beside her, but she couldn't. She would never get that moment again. And no amount of comfort from them could fill the space Mia had left behind.

Meredith gave her a soft, sympathetic look, but she didn't say anything more. Instead, she took the lead, gently guiding Teddy toward the living room, where they all sank onto the couch together. Maggie sat beside her, wiping her eyes, and Amelia, though trying to stay composed, had tears staining her cheeks as well. It was a raw, unspoken understanding between them all.

"We're going to get through this, Teddy," Amelia said after a moment, her voice steady despite the grief. "Together."

"I don't know how to do this without her," Teddy whispered, her voice so small, so fragile.

"You don't have to do it alone," Meredith reassured her, her hand resting on Teddy's. "We're here. And Allison... she needs us too. We'll be her family. We'll be your family."

The words were a small comfort, but it wasn't enough to fill the gaping hole that Mia's absence had left behind. Teddy wanted to scream, to run, to do anything to turn back time. But all she could do was sit there, surrounded by the women who loved Mia as much as she did, and mourn the loss of the woman who had been her everything.

All they could do was grieve. And try to survive the loss of the one person who had made their world complete.