Prologue

This couldn't be it. Her greatest fears coming true. This was the reason she built those walls. This was the reason she taught herself to withhold emotions. What did emotions get you? This?

Quinn buried her head in her hands as she sat on the weathered steps off their back porch. Or she should say her back porch.

Rachel was gone now. The life they built together, was now just her own. There were reminders of Rachel everywhere, but she was alone.

Her eyes began to pool looking at the white daisies in the flowerbed at the base of the deck.

Quinn hadn't even noticed Santana walk around the back of the house until she literally stood directly in front of her. She glanced up to meet Santana's worried eyes and then focused back on the daisies. "She planted these."

"I know Q," Santana said with a sigh sitting next to her oldest friend.

They sat in silence for hours. There was nothing to say. They watched the stems of the daisies bend with the wind. They watched children play fetch with Quinn's German Shepherd. They watched the sun make its descent. And shortly after, they watched fireflies begin twinkling in the twilight sky.

"Rachel liked fireflies," Quinn murmured, finally breaking the silence. "They reminded her of gold stars."

"Makes sense," Santana whispered.

Quinn let out a deep sigh and bit her bottom lip. "I knew I would end up alone."

"Q..."

"No don't... I'm pissed," she choked out between tears. "She said we were strong enough to survive anything. She said she'd never leave. And now I'm here looking at daisies and fireflies. Alone. Because she left me."

Tears erupted and Santana engulfed her friend in a hug. Quinn buried her face in her childhood friend's long dark hair and felt it dampen more with each sob.

Santana placed her chin on top of her friend's head as she broke. Quinn crumbled there in her arms and she searched for the right thing to say.

Finally, she pulled away to look Quinn in the eyes. Her friend's hazel orbs were circumferenced by bloodshot red from all of the tears she shed throughout the day.

"I know it doesn't mean much," she began and took a deep, shaky breath. Quinn looked into her eyes as she continued. "I know it doesn't mean much, but you have to know she fought for you. She fought hard because she wanted a life with you too. It's just... Sometimes, no matter how much you want something and are willing to fight for it, the universe has other plans."

Quinn pressed her eyes shut and let the words sink in. "I just miss her," she sighed. She felt one last tear streak down her alabaster cheek and took in a deep breath.

She opened her eyes to caring brown ones, but not the brown eyes she longed for. So, she placed her head on her friends shoulder and returned her gaze to the night sky, now filled with fluttering gold stars.

I miss her.