The Prices I Pay ((MIKE ZACHARIAS X ERWIN SMITH X OC))

Chapter 28

"Oh..." Ama pursed her lips in thought. "I'm guessing one of those addresses was his then?"

"That's right."

"And the second?"

"The second address belongs to my mother's family," Silica chewed on the inside of her cheek. "But I can't really tell you a lot about them. I don't know who they are."

"Your mother?" Amelia looked star struck. "You mean she's alive too?"

"Yes," Silica nodded again. "She's the one who gave me the list in the first place."

"But you two aren't close?" Ama guessed. Silica sighed.

"We have an understanding." She decided to say.

"Why don't you try finding her side of the family?"

"I've thought about it," Silica confessed. "But I'm not so sure. I'm not trying to burden these people's lives."

"I don't think it would be a burden at all," Amelia sat up on her knees and angled her head to catch Silica's eye. "You're a legendary member of the Survey Corps! You're also a grown adult who can take care of themselves! You wouldn't be asking them for anything, and wouldn't it be worth it to just try if there's a chance you'll get some more family out of it? I think whoever they are, they'd be so proud to have you!"

"Ama..." Silica sighed for the umpteenth time since arriving home. "I don't know."

"Come on," Amelia was on her knees in front of her mother now. She propped her chin on Silica's legs. "Just one try, and if they suck major dong I promise I'll never bring it up again, so long as I live!"

Silica pinched Amelia's nose and rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine. But if they suck I'll never let you live it down."

"That goes both ways," Amelia pointed out sassily. "I bet they'll be awesome!"

"Yeah, yeah," Silica waved a dismissive hand as she stood up. "You should get to bed, you have ODM training with Levi in the morning."

Amelia didn't hesitate to scoop her mother into a hug, and Silica slowly eased into it as she wrapped her arms around her.

"I love you, Mama," Amelia said and she snuggled into her shoulder. "I'm sorry for being nosey, it's the only way I get anything out of you. I just want you to be happy."

"So you admit you were snooping?" Silica guessed, and Amelia laughed guiltily.

"Well, yeah," she said as she leaned away to get a look at her mother's face. Silica looked back at her pointedly. "You've been in a funk for months, and I knew it couldn't be Erwin cuz he's virtually perfect. And besides, it was a different kind of sad..."

Amelia looked down as she trailed off, and she shrugged. "I don't know... I was worried."

"You know you don't have to worry about me," Silica cupped Amelia's cheeks in her hands to get her to look at her again. "Tell you what, I'll try to be more open if you ask me what's going on, if you can promise not to go through things that aren't yours again. Deal?"

"Only if you promise to actually tell me." Amelia haggled. Silica pursed her lips at her sassy tone.

"Of course I will," Silica pinched her nose again, to which Ama laughed at. "Now get your ass to bed, Levi won't like it if you're late."

Amelia squeezed her mother into one last hug before doing what she was told, and grinned brightly at her as she left the room. Silica watched her as she went, and lowered herself onto the edge of the bed as she prepared herself to ponder over all that Amelia had said to her.