Mrs. All American| a.i.

0.8

Ashton's POV
"Why are we staring at an envelope?" Calum asked as the five of us sat side by side on the couch. In front of us sat the envelope that Ms. Jackie gave Mia earlier at the orphanage.

"Should I open it?" Mia asked, bringing the beer she was drinking to her lips. "Or should I do it with my dads?" She asked once she swallowed. She never took her eyes off the envelope as she pulled her phone and out dialed a number.

"You got the letter I'm guessing?" I heard Alex ask over the phone. Mia nodded her head before answering. Her eyes still glued to the letter.

"Yeah, I'm tempted to open it." She told him simply, taking another swig from her beer. Somehow, we managed to get some alcohol into the hotel room even though we are all underage to drink in the U.S. "Yeah, I'm with the guys." She told him.

"It's up to you if you want to open it, just call us okay?" It was Josh on the phone now and he seemed worried. I would be to if my daughter was in another country learning about her real parents. I could only imagine how uneasy both Josh and Alex must be right now.

"Alright, I love you." Mia told both of dads before hanging up the phone. "You guys have anything other than beer?" She asked, standing up from the couch. Her eyes left the envelope for the first time since she received it.

"There's white wine in the kitchen." Luke told her, standing up so he could point out to her where exactly the wine was hidden. "Need help opening it?" He asked Mia as he handed her the cork screw.

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks Lucifer." She started giggling at the nickname, and then started laughing when she saw Luke's playfully annoyed face. "Okay," Mia started, coming to sit back down between Michael and I. She was gripping the neck of the wine bottle before taking a swig.

"Need a glass, or?" Michael asked, chuckling at her. She smiled, rolling her eyes before reaching forward and taking the letter in her hands.

"I'm going to open it." Mia started fearlessly. She wasted no time, and ripped the letter open with her teeth. First, she pulled out another, smaller envelope that had her name out it. She decided to open that first. "I'm going to read it out loud. None of you big babies cry or else I'm flying back to Australia." She joked but we could all tell that she was nervous.

"'Mia,

My name is Grace Alvarez (my married name is Montgomery), and I'm your birth mother. Your probably reading this with your parents - the people who were lucky enough to spend the rest of their lives with you. I wish I could have done that myself, but the two years that I spent with you is enough to keep me happy.

I'm going to make this letter short and sweet because it brings me pain to talk about this. I married your birth father, Jake Montgomery,when I was only nineteen years old.'" Mia stopped, taking another swig from the wine bottle. "'I was in love with him, and I still am, even though he was involved in some messed up stuff. Your birth father is a drug dealer, well I should say was because just last month he was arrested by the DEA. I fell pregnant with you when I was only twenty-one years old.'" Mia stopped to take a breath and calm herself.

"'I relied on your father to bring home money for you and I. He made that money selling drugs and stealing things occasionally. I'll admit, you haven't had the best life but luckily you are so young that you won't ever remember any of the drug deals that went on just down the hall from your bedroom. With your father gone now, arrested, I have no money to take care of you. I have no one to turn to and I'm not about to struggle raising a two year old. I don't want you to grow up this way. I want you to grow up with a roof over your head, food in your stomach, and a warm bed to sleep in at night. That's why I'm putting you up for adoption, because I can't provide you that and I'm so in love with your father that I won't leave him. I don't want you growing up around drugs, alcohol, and robberies. I'm sorry if you feel that I'm choosing your father over you, but I am and it's for your own good. I don't think I've told you enough times in just two years, but I love you. I hope you can forgive me and when you read this know that your father loved you just as much, even if he was always drugged out or drunk. He loved you and we both wish that we could have raised you into a brave young girl which I hope you turn out to be. I love you, and please don't hate us.

-Grace and Jake xx.'"

"Interesting." Mia muttered, taking another swig from the wine bottle. The boys and I looked between each other, shocked about how well Mia was taking this. She didn't even shed a tear and somehow had a small smile on her face. She set the letter down on the coffee table before reaching back into the envelope. From inside, she pulled out two pictures.

"That your mum and dad?" Calum asked, leaning over Mia's shoulder to look at the picture of two teenagers holding each other tightly. They were smiling up at the camera, and the women looked almost identical to Mia.

"Think so." Mia said, turning her head to the side with a smile. "She's pretty, isn't she?" She asked all of us. I reached for the photo, wanting to get a better look at it. Handing it to me, she moved her gaze to the second photo.

"I remember this." She told all of us. Looking over her shoulder, the picture showed the couple from the first photo, just a year or two older, holding a little girl in a field of pumpkins. "I remember this photo being taken, but that's it." She said, bringing the photo closer to her face.

It was silent in the room for a while. Mia cradle the wine bottle to her chest as she bit her lip and stared at the two pictures. "Thanks Mia," Luke was the first to speak up. We all looked at him, confused.

"For what, Lucifer?" She asked. Letting her lip fall from between her teeth.

"You barely know us and just shared your past with total strangers. That means a lot to me, and I'm sure means a lot to the other guys as well." He told her. A smiled formed on her face as she reached over and wrapped her arms around Luke's neck; pulling him into a hug.

"Thank you guys." She let go of Luke so she could fall into my side. I put my arm around her shoulder, giving her a squeeze. "I barely know you all, yet you make me feel so comfortable. I don't think I would have been able to do that by myself." She said, smiling at all of us. We all smiled back.

After a while, Calum and Michael moved to the floor, starting a game of Fifa, and Luke disappeared into the washroom to take a shower.

"You okay?" I asked Mia. She took a sip from the wine bottle before looking up at me.

"I'm fine. I think I handled that better than I thought." She giggled a little, and stood to her feet. I copied her actions. "Hey, can I paint?" She asked me.

"Yeah, I don't see why not."

She smiled, setting her wine bottle down on the coffee table.

"Great! Take your shirt off and lie face down on the bed for me."
-
Woah Mia, what kind of painting are you thinking of doing?
Idek (well I do but) you guys are just going to have to wait for the next chapter to find out! OKay! So, I hope you like this chapter! I had fun writing it and now that you know about where Mia came from you'll see how her past is going to tie into the 'Sirens' music video!
Alrighty, give me your feedback!
LOOOOVEEEE YOUU!
-bunny xx