Shadowplay | Tony Stark

THIRTY - TRAINING WHEELS

Two days passed by. It took some time for Melanie to wrap her head around everything that her daughter had told her, and that time, Mila spared no details.

She told her mother everything about how she'd met Tony, about Joss and the Sheriff's Department in their town, and about HYDRA. Mila didn't still fully understand everything herself, but she believed what Tony had told her and trusted his word.

Through gritted teeth and with a clenched jaw, Mila also opened up to her mother about Logan. She wasn't sure if she could tolerate the mentioning of his name or questions about where he was and why he wasn't around, and so faced with no other choice, Mila recalled the horrific details of her past to her mother.

Both women shed tears at the kitchen table that night, Melanie more so than her daughter. She felt like she'd failed as a parent after hearing the truth about what her child had been subjected to, and how it was all happening right under her and her husband's nose.

The thought of Milena crying herself to sleep on the other side of the house because of a man they welcomed into the family and loved like their own was sickening. Melanie wasn't sure she'd ever be able to forgive herself, though of course, Mila's strong spirit and warm heart compelled her mother to loosen the chains of guilt that had started to choke her, letting her know that none of it was her or her father's fault.

That morning, Melanie had told Mila she was heading into town to meet up with old friends for lunch, though her daughter was quick to offer to join her. The phone had been ringing off the hook with people offering their condolences, though Melanie had been quick to affirm that they wanted no visitors at the house right now, and so ended up agreeing to passing some time in a cafe instead after persistence.

Tony wasn't keen on the idea of Melanie heading out at all, though after speaking on the phone late the night before with Joss Miller, it appeared that activity in the town had been pretty quiet recently, making Tony worry that little bit less.

Mila had been quiet since returning home, which hadn't gone unnoticed. Tony watched her linger looking at old pictures on the walls or flicking absentmindedly through leather-bound photo albums.

Tony hadn't expected her to be her usual self, of course not, but he'd noticed a huge difference in the way she'd been dealing with the loss at the lake house and back at her own home, the lifelessness in her eyes making his own heart start to crack.

He hated seeing her upset, and although she wasn't sat crying for hours on end, Tony knew that the silence on the outside meant there was chaos happening on the inside, knowing all too well the millions of regretful thoughts that would've been plaguing her mind.

He had offered to look after Tristan that day while Mila and her mother went out for lunch, thinking that it might've been good for the two of them to have some time together without having to worry about keeping him entertained.

Mila agreed and left both boys with a goodbye and a kiss, smiling at them as Tony stood on the porch with Tristan held on his hip, both of them waving back at Mila and Melanie as they got into the car and drove away.

Together, Tony and Tristan spent the first hour inside the house doing some painting at the kitchen table. The child had become seemingly obsessed with painting pictures for his grandma since Mila's suggestion a week ago, constantly wanting to gift her something to see her smile.

His attention soon wavered and since the sun was shining, Tony managed to talk Tristan into putting on his shoes and heading outside to play in the garden instead of watching cartoons inside with the curtains drawn.

"Where does Mommy keep your outside toys, hm?"

Tony followed Tristan towards a smaller shed around the back of the garage. The child tugged on the doors only made no progress, making Tony chuckle before pulling down on the handle and hauling open both doors to reveal a shed full of plastic sports equipment and a blow up paddling pool amongst other things coated in dust.