Bright Abbott lies haphazardly on his parents' couch. The sole of his sneaker grazes the hard wood floor making a shrill squeaking noise. Unfazed by the sound he rolls over with a dismissive sigh.
"Well, I'm ready." Hannah Roger's kind voice is hard to ignore, but Bright does his best not to react, in his mind if he doesn't hear her say goodbye, it means she'll never be able to walk away.
"Bright." Hannah's voice remains sweet, but is laced with a firmer tone.
Reluctantly he turns over, looking her in the eye, his heart breaks.
"My plane leaves in an hour and a half, I have to go…" Hannah pleads with a faltering smile.
"No you don't." Bright's voice is uncharacteristically unsteady.
"Remember…no goodbyes."
"But you're leaving." Bright exclaims, finally pushing himself off of the couch to approach the woman he loves.
True, ever since his slip a few months back, things have been different between the two. No longer a couple, they struggled to define themselves as friends. Only recently have they come to a truce of sorts—agreeing to be best friends no matter what—it's only now that he is regretting this accord. Perhaps if he had remained aloof, pushed her harder, she would have been more willing to stay in Everwood. But instead he chose to do the right thing—to be her friend, to put aside the romantic feelings that he'd only ever had for one person, for her; and encouraged her to go home and to attend the college of her dreams.
Now because of his own actions, there they were two friends—well two people with unresolved feelings saying goodbye to whatever they had become in the last three months.
"Bright….I…." Hannah starts to speak but bites her lip in order to prevent her words from giving her away.
Only one person knows the truth—that when she says "no goodbyes" it means she'll be back—not back for the occasional weekend or sporadic holiday like she's been promising everyone she's come into contact with in the last two days, but back in two months—in time to start school in the fall. Yes dear, sweet predictable Hannah, despite encouragement otherwise, had chosen on a whim to stay in Colorado for College. The only person privy to this information thus far is her roommate come September Amy. Unsure of everything else in her life—this past winter Hannah had concluded that she was not ready to leave her second family behind—specifically Bright, her best friend…with potential.
Bright's fixed stare brings Hannah back to the present, "I'm sorry, I know I should be better prepared for this….I mean I've had like three months of saying goodbye to you to get me ready…"
"It's ok." Hannah smiles at him.
"Come on where are your bags, we can finish this at the airport."
"No." Hannah says strictly.
"The clock's ticking."
"I mean, I just figured, that you and me and airports have a weird enough relationship as it is…so I asked Ephram and Amy to take me, they're waiting outside."
Bright glances out to the window as Ephram's beat-up car comes into view.
Bright sighs, "Wow, ok than I guess this is it."
Hannah nods, "Walk me out?"
Hannah grabs her bag as Bright follows her onto the porch.
"I'm going to miss you." Bright announces to her back, his voice wavering
Hannah allows the bags in her hands to fall to the ground. With a swift turn she plunges herself toward her best friend. With zero time to react, Bright just manages to catch her around the waist as she wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him full on.
"No goodbyes." She whispers before rushing back to her bags and towards the awaiting car.
Flinging the car door open and throwing her things inside, she smacks the back of the front seat, "go!" she exclaims to her flabbergasted chauffeurs.
Moments later, the car is well on its way to the airport, while a paralyzed Bright Abbot stands gripping the beams of his childhood home's porch for support, a dopey smile lighting his face.
Approaching the entrance to the airport, Hannah beams. Although she is leaving for two months, she is content in knowing that her life in Everwood will be waiting for her when she returns in August. Turning her back on Bright, was the right thing to do in retrospect because in turn it made her realize that despite the awkwardness of the winter and spring, her heart belonged to him, which looking back is probably what made the decision not to go to Notre Dame seem so insignificant at the time—after all she was merely giving up four years of an amazing education for a lifetime of love and affection—no just from Bright but from her family—the Abbots, the Browns, and Nina.
"Flight 867 nonstop to Minnesota is now boarding."
"Goodbye for now." Hannah sighs as she makes her way towards the terminal. While excited to see her mother again and spend time with her old friends, Hannah's heart will remain in Colorado until her momentous return in August.