In the following months, Nick became consumed with the search for Mia.
He traveled to her hometown, meeting her former teachers, classmates, and neighbors. One. by one, he visited everyone who had known her, desperately hoping to uncover some clue about her whereabouts.
Through his relentless efforts, Nick slowly began to piece together the life he had never bothered to understand before.
He learned that Mia had grown up in a single–parent family. Her father had abandoned her at a young age, leaving her with a deep sense of insecurity. Lacking love and support, she developed a people–pleasing personality, always trying to gain approval from those around her.
He realized that her tolerance for his behavior, was never born out of love. It was simply a reflection of the harsh realities she had endured, teaching her to silently endure whatever life threw at her.
Despite the hardships that shaped her, Mia remained kind. After their marriage, she made regular monthly donations to the Sunshine Community Center. She also volunteered there weekly, and the children absolutely adored her.
“Miss Larson loves blue the most. It’s the color of the ocean. She told us she loves the sea because it stands for freedom and romance!” one of the children said with a bright smile during Nick’s visit to the shelter.
The child was drawing a picture of the ocean and beamed as they added, “Are you Miss Larson’s friend? When is she coming back? I drew the ocean for her and want to give it to her.”
Nick felt a sharp pang of bitterness in his chest. Even the children at the shelter knew Mia loved the ocean and the color blue–yet he had never known.
As much as he hated to admit it, Xena had been right. He truly didn’t understand love.
Nick scoured every coastal region in the country, desperately searching for Mia, but his efforts turned up nothing.
As time went on, fear began creeping into his heart. Dark thoughts surfaced, ones he couldn’t shake.
What if Mia… was no longer alive?
Why else, after all this time, would there still be no sign of her?
