hole in her heart was aching like an open wound.
She walked up onto the porch past the porch swing that Lily used to love. When Mia helped Asher care for her in the last days of her life, she used to sit out there with her and they would swing and talk. Mia had loved Lily. She had loved her own mother too but Lily was everything that Norma wasn’t insofar as she had such a huge capacity for love and forgiveness. Lily hadn’t cared that Mia’s mother and father had been on the outs with her and Greg for years. She had treated Mia with respect and love always. Her death had broken Mia’s heart not only for herself, but for Asher. After Lily died, Asher hadn’t even called her. Instead, he had gone drinking with Travis. By the time Mia saw him again they were burying his mother and her brother. She had just turned seventeen years old. She had just lost a mother-figure and her brother she adored. She hadn’t known what to do with those feelings and when she finally saw Asher that day, those feelings had come out as anger and blame.
Mia knew that Asher had adored his mother. She knew that Asher had also loved her brother. She knew that Asher would have traded places with either of them that day if he could have. She had seen the pain in his eyes and it had killed her. It was almost palpable. Yet, instead of taking him in her arms the way she should have and comforted him, she had displaced all those feelings that she didn’t know what to do with, on him. She had been so damned young. Then her mother had stepped in and Norma had told him it was all his fault that Travis was dead. The look of horror on his face then had snapped Mia back to reality and she called after him, but he hadn’t even looked back. She had thought he was only going for a drive that day but he never came back and no one in town had heard from him since, not even his father. She often wondered if Dean ever heard from him but he had long since left town too.
Mia used her key and let herself into the Fury home. She had been helping Mr. Kentworth with the planning of the funeral and she was here today to get some photos for the service. He had left provisions for what he wanted in his will. He wanted to be cremated and have his ashes buried in the plot next to Lily. Mia had arranged the graveside service for him through his Priest and she had ordered the flowers and arranged for a reception at her own home afterwards. She wanted something personal at the service though a photo of better days. There was one photo on the mantle of Greg and Asher and Lily when Asher had been just a little boy. Mr. Fury had loved that photo and that was the one she was here to get today.
She was comfortable here. Before Lily had died she had been here a lot, helping Asher care for her and just spending time with him. Once Asher was gone she couldn’t stand the thought of Greg being alone. She had taken meals over a few times a week, each time trying to sit and talk with him for a while and let him know that he wasn’t alone. Eventually, he admitted to her that his drinking was out of control and he’d hated it. She had helped him get into a program and she had visited him regularly. Once he had been released she had continued to help him around the house. He’d had staff to do his cooking and cleaning, but she had liked to do things for him like pancakes before church on Sunday morning or a pot roast on Friday night. Those were things Lily had done for him and he was so touched that he began to open up to Mia about a lot of things and they had become very close.
Greg blamed himself for Asher leaving. He told her all the time that Asher loved her and if he had stayed, he would have married her. He told her that the day Asher left it was because of him. His drinking had escalated, completely out of control and he had said some horrible things to his son. He had never told her exactly what was said or what the fight was about and Mia hadn’t asked. She knew that Greg’s
She walked up onto the porch past the porch swing that Lily used to love. When Mia helped Asher care for her in the last days of her life, she used to sit out there with her and they would swing and talk. Mia had loved Lily. She had loved her own mother too but Lily was everything that Norma wasn’t insofar as she had such a huge capacity for love and forgiveness. Lily hadn’t cared that Mia’s mother and father had been on the outs with her and Greg for years. She had treated Mia with respect and love always. Her death had broken Mia’s heart not only for herself, but for Asher. After Lily died, Asher hadn’t even called her. Instead, he had gone drinking with Travis. By the time Mia saw him again they were burying his mother and her brother. She had just turned seventeen years old. She had just lost a mother-figure and her brother she adored. She hadn’t known what to do with those feelings and when she finally saw Asher that day, those feelings had come out as anger and blame.
Mia knew that Asher had adored his mother. She knew that Asher had also loved her brother. She knew that Asher would have traded places with either of them that day if he could have. She had seen the pain in his eyes and it had killed her. It was almost palpable. Yet, instead of taking him in her arms the way she should have and comforted him, she had displaced all those feelings that she didn’t know what to do with, on him. She had been so damned young. Then her mother had stepped in and Norma had told him it was all his fault that Travis was dead. The look of horror on his face then had snapped Mia back to reality and she called after him, but he hadn’t even looked back. She had thought he was only going for a drive that day but he never came back and no one in town had heard from him since, not even his father. She often wondered if Dean ever heard from him but he had long since left town too.
Mia used her key and let herself into the Fury home. She had been helping Mr. Kentworth with the planning of the funeral and she was here today to get some photos for the service. He had left provisions for what he wanted in his will. He wanted to be cremated and have his ashes buried in the plot next to Lily. Mia had arranged the graveside service for him through his Priest and she had ordered the flowers and arranged for a reception at her own home afterwards. She wanted something personal at the service though a photo of better days. There was one photo on the mantle of Greg and Asher and Lily when Asher had been just a little boy. Mr. Fury had loved that photo and that was the one she was here to get today.
She was comfortable here. Before Lily had died she had been here a lot, helping Asher care for her and just spending time with him. Once Asher was gone she couldn’t stand the thought of Greg being alone. She had taken meals over a few times a week, each time trying to sit and talk with him for a while and let him know that he wasn’t alone. Eventually, he admitted to her that his drinking was out of control and he’d hated it. She had helped him get into a program and she had visited him regularly. Once he had been released she had continued to help him around the house. He’d had staff to do his cooking and cleaning, but she had liked to do things for him like pancakes before church on Sunday morning or a pot roast on Friday night. Those were things Lily had done for him and he was so touched that he began to open up to Mia about a lot of things and they had become very close.
Greg blamed himself for Asher leaving. He told her all the time that Asher loved her and if he had stayed, he would have married her. He told her that the day Asher left it was because of him. His drinking had escalated, completely out of control and he had said some horrible things to his son. He had never told her exactly what was said or what the fight was about and Mia hadn’t asked. She knew that Greg’s
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