Shadowplay | Tony Stark

TWENTY NINE - BACK HOME

"Tristan's with Logan I take it?"

Mila's knuckles turned white for a split second as she gripped the steering wheel tighter on the drive home from O'Hare International Airport.

They'd made small talk since being reunited in the arrivals hall back at the airport and while both women were inherently strong-willed individuals, they did shed a few tears upon their first embrace that late afternoon.

The Florida sun had been kind to her mother, leaving her with a golden tan that complemented her shoulder-length blonde hair. Mila thought she might've given up dying it in her retirement but clearly, judging by the tinted lashes and what looked like week and a half-old manicured nails, her mother still took incredible pride in her appearance, making her look almost ten years younger than she actually was.

It had been six days since Mila's father had passed away and while the pain certainly hadn't eased, she was slowly learning to deal with it. Tristan hadn't brought up the topic of his late Grandfather since the night of his passing, and while Mila also pretty much avoided talking about the subject altogether, Tony was always there to wipe a single tear or to hold her through a shaky moment that caught her off guard.

Much like her daughter, Melanie Campbell had found over those six days and nights that accepting the truth and trying her best to just get on with it was the best method of coping with the loss of her husband.

Becoming widowed at just sixty-one had never crossed her mind, though the endless cigarettes and bottles of red wine that Jack Campbell smoked and drank religiously every day should probably have acted as a warning sign that he might've been heading towards an early grave.

"No," Mila swallowed, her eyes fixed on the road ahead, "Someone's watching him at home. He's fine, don't worry."

"Oh Mila, I'm not sure I can deal with visitors right now." Melanie rest her head against the window with a sigh.

"He's not a visitor, Mom," Mila shook her head, stealing glances at her mother, "He, he's...he's just not a visitor, alright?"

Her mother said nothing in response, the two of them driving the rest of the way in silence. It wasn't particularly uncomfortable for either of them since on the inside, they both had almost identical souls.

Mila was sure that she'd inherited her grit and determination from her mother, her intelligence and her commitment, too. Melanie had been the most tentative mother to Mila growing up and had taught her everything she'd needed to know, even without realising it. As Mila adjusted to motherhood herself, she overcame some of the darkest moments by thinking like her mother would.

Pulling up to the house, Mila watched from the corner of her eye as her mother drew in a sharp breath. She had had a similar reaction when the three of them had arrived from the lake house earlier that morning, almost feeling sick at the sight of a place filled with memories of people and things that were no longer tangible.

Mila turned off the engine and grabbed hold of her mother's hand, giving it a light squeeze, "It'll be alright, Mom. I promise."

Melanie smiled back at her daughter, thanking her lucky stars that she didn't have to go through it all alone. It felt strange arriving back at her old home without her husband, though it would've felt stranger staying in a place they'd moved to to enjoy together, being unable to fulfil that emotion staying there alone.

Together, the two of them walked up the steps of the porch, Mila carrying her mother's case and unlocking the front door, heading inside to the sound of two shrieks of laughter coming from over by the couch.

"Does that little laugh belong to who I think it does?"

"Grandma!"

Tristan appeared from behind the couch and immediately scampered across the floor into his grandmother's arms, the colour returning to her face once the two of them embraced, perfect smiles framing the both of them.