017:

Melia moved into the condo in Huntington Beach. She and Megan and Maille. No one had thought that having them all together was for the best, but the condo had been opened into adjoining condo's when Tracy had lived there years before and her mother, the live-in nanny, had lived next door. Melia could have one-half and her sisters could have the other. It was ideal.

Melia walked through the familiar and furnished rooms quietly. She'd stayed here many times before, but always it was considered her parents home, not hers. This time, her mother had requested that she make it her own. That she get new furniture if need be, whatever she wanted. It was close to Rocks, close to ABCSC and close to where she would be filming her first film since she'd acted with Ryan.

Downstairs had been Danny's room that he had shared with cousin Stevie and Chris and Kelly. There were bunk beds from when the boys had been little. Bunk beds that looked like a pirate ship. The walls looked like the ocean and waves and the sky with a storm on the horizon and an island in the distance. She retreated and went up the stairs to her old room. No longer adorned with cribs, but three twin beds. Her mother had told her that the cribs were in the closet. Well, that was certainly convenient.

"Hey! Mia?! Hey, where are you?" came Megan's voice and she turned at the head of the stairs. "Is this going to work out?"

"Yeah, I think it'll be great. Who is that with you?" She squinted down into the late afternoon sunlight and could only see a taller figure.

Matthew stepped into the light. "Hi there." He said to her, his eyes resting on her sardonically, she had studiously avoided him since the day he'd diffused her in the aloe tub, and later again with her towel on. Somehow, she liked having him around, because she knew Jared wanted it, but that was the only reason. It embarrassed her that he was always having to diffuse her.

"Hi." She said. "Will you be living here too?"

"Nah. I'm staying out at Tom and Annette's."

"Oh, I thought they broke up."

"Which makes it a bachelor pad."

"I'm going out with him." She said rather defiantly.

"I heard." He said and leaned jauntily against the wall. "That's why I'm doubling with you guys. Me and Thella Lindsey."

Melia's eyebrows rose. Thella Lindsey the singer? But she didn't say anything and turned back to the kitchen. Matthew followed her.

"I heard you got the part in Threatened Demise." He stood at the table and looked at some papers lying there nonchalantly while she got a drink of water, and stood staring out the window over the sink at the golf course and backyard.

"I also got the part in Law Society with Robert DeMarco. They start pre simultaneously."

He nodded succinctly. "Guess you'll be really busy. Did you accept the part in Due December?" That was the love story chick flick co-starring himself. Melia rubbed her eyes.

"I don't know yet." She said.

"It will be fun. All you have to do is say yes."

"I'm really busy, Matthew."

"I can see that. But you didn't have any objections to signing on with Tom Roberson."

"I can't sign on for things I can't honestly fulfill." She said and turned to lean against the counter. "It's a lot of work in a short amount of time. And I'm supposed to be on tour this summer."

"Well, something will have to give." He grinned.

Melia couldn't answer. She stared out the window at the very green grass and wondered how she could possibly fulfill all the commitments she had made. Was this really what Jared had envisioned for her grief period? Did he think to distract her so much? Well, she was certainly distracted. She would have to quit being distracted and really focus to get through the next four months.

*****