006:

Melia swallowed hard, gulping back a breath that seemed to go on forever. Why? Why did it have to end? He shouldn't have signed it. He should have written more. She let the papers flutter to the bed next to her and looked up as she sensed someone at the door.

It wasn't Megan.

It was Matthew. He acknowledged her with a nod. "You okay?"

She absolutely hated that question. Of course she wasn't okay, and she didn't feel at all inclined to reassure anybody. She didn't owe it to anybody, not even Jared's closest latest best friend. "I'm fine." She answered with as little annoyance as possible. "I'm sleeping here tonight." She added. "Megan didn't take the baby with Mommy did she?"

He shook his head. "No, the baby is just out on the porch with Megan."

"Well, it's probably getting cold. Could you have her bring her in?" she asked and he disappeared around the corner through the kitchen and Melia sighed in relief. She wanted to be alone with Jared's letter, in Jared's room, with his essence all around her. She wanted Jared's daughter to be with her right now. She leaned over to the diaper bag and got out a diaper.

Megan and Matthew both returned bringing the baby. They stood in the doorway, two stalwart sentinels guarding her. She got up and took Hannah who was awake and looking around. "She probably needs a change." She said and turned her back on them.

"She's staying here tonight." Matthew said to Megan who nodded.

"Okay. I'll stay with her."

"I think I'll stay too." He agreed.

"You guys don't have to." Melia argued as she easily undid the sleeper feet on Hannah's pajamas.

"I want to." Megan affirmed. "If it's okay with you."

"Did Jared put you up to it?"

"Yes. But it wasn't anything I hadn't already decided to do. It was actually kind of annoying to have him tell me, as if I didn't know that I wanted to hang out with you for awhile." Megan walked around to the window and pulled back the blind.

Melia didn't answer as she changed the diaper and then quickly replaced the sleeper and cuddled Hannah close. She rooted around a bit and Melia gave Matthew a look meant to ask him to leave.

He stared at her. "You want me to leave?"

"I'm going to feed the baby."

"I'll be right outside the door in the kitchen." He turned and left, but not without hesitation.

"It won't be easy for him if you're his assignment as well." Megan said and laughed. "You're making it pretty hard."

Melia sneered. "I didn't ask for help. I'm fine." She said as Hannah latched on and she pushed herself up against the head board and pillows. "Jared should have known not to make me anybodies assignment."

"He's your husband." Matthew pointed out from the other room. "He knows what you need. You need to respect that."

Melia's eyebrows rose at his temerity and the interruption. The words, "Chauvanist Pig" were on her lips, but Megan shushed her with a warning hand up to her lips. "Let him do what he believes to be his duty, Mia." She said in sign language. "He needs to think he's being of help to you. It's his way of grieving." She'd said the right words, and Melia backed off.

"So, how long do you want to stay?" Megan asked out loud.

"I'll be leaving in a couple of days. Probably Thursday. I want to be in Wales for the weekend. Thought we could go record at Abbey Road."

Megan cocked her head. "Record?"

"Yeah, sure, the stuff we've been working on. And Pops has that stadium in Spain, maybe we could set up a gig there. I've always wanted to play there." Melia said with a small smile of effort.

Megan's eyes narrowed. Was this Melia speaking? Planning already? Wasn't that a little soon?

"I think you might want to get settled with Hannah for awhile. Where do you think you'll make your home base?" Megan asked gently, going along with it.

"Montana. I—Jared didn't want me to go right back to Catalina, too many memories he said. So, I'll go to Montana. I have no memories there. None of him anyway."

"Did he want you to forget him? I see you read the letter he asked you not to read for a year."

Melia chuckled and her eyes met her sister's. "Of course I read it and he knew I would. He wrote it with that in mind. It isn't even for a year from now. It's for right now, today. He's a goose. He knew what I would do."

"Seriously?" Megan chortled. "He knows you better than I thought." And I'm not kidding, Megan added to herself. He knew us all better than we thought. He had to have been the most observant thoughtful person on the planet. I wish I'd known him better. I really wish I'd known him better. He was someone I should have gotten to know. And with that thought, came the next.... He's gone. We could all be gone just like that. I need to be less selfish and more observant and caring like Jared.

*****