"Stop being such a grandma!" Sugar swims towards the edge of the pool and splashes me with a flick of her wrist.

We arrived at the cabin in the early afternoon. I had planned on taking a nap after the long drive, but as soon as Sugar and Brittany found out there was a brand new pool out on the back deck, they stripped down to their underwear and jumped in. And although Sugar verbally forced me to join them on the deck, she had failed to get me to strip down with them.

"I told you already, I hate the smell of chlorine," I say while I rest comfortably on a tanning chair.

She groans. "Brittany will you please tell her to stop being such a prune. We're suppose to be having fun together."

I watch Brittany through my sunglasses. She strokes across the water and comes to a stop at the end of the odd shaped pool. "We can't force her to do stuff," she simply says.

"Yeah, but if you ask her she'll do it. She always does."

I grab my bug repellent bottle off the floor and sit at the end edge of the pool. "I'll soak my feet. How about that, Princess?"

Sugar snatches the bottle from me. "Allow me," she says in an overly sweet voice.

I extend both arms out for her to spray but she quickly takes a tight hold of me and pulls me down and into the pool. I emerge from the water coughing and gasping for air, my eyes irritated from the unexpected splash of water as I try my best to stay afloat. "SUGAR!" I roar through a cough.

"It's just a little water," she giggles, having already climbed out from the pool. "Don't you feel refreshed? It's so humid out here."

"I'm going to kill you!"

Brittany quickly drifts towards me. "Are you okay?" She asks, her voice heavy with concern.

"Yeah. Fine."

"C'mon." She gently pulls me towards the concrete stairs and helps me out of the pool.

"OWWW!" Sugar lets out and drops to the floor while holding her right foot with both hands.

Brittany races to her side. "What's wrong?"

"Oh my god, Brittany! It hurts! It hurts!"

"What is it?" She asks, panicked. "What happened?"

"If this is some lame attempt at trying to make me forget that you just about drowned me, then let me just tell you that it's not going to work!" I scold as I dry myself off with her towel.

"Oh my god! Get it out, Brittany!" Sugar pleads. "Take it out!"

Brittany gently lifts her foot and her eyes go wide. "What is that?" She takes a closer look. "Is it a bee stinger?"

"You stepped on a freakin' bee?" I laugh. "Poor thing. The bee, I mean."

Brittany frowns at me. "We need to get it out."

I sigh. "I have tweezers in my makeup bag. I'll go get them."

"No, we can't use that. It'll make it worse. Can you grab a knife-"

"A knife?!" Sugar sits up straight and looks back and forth between me and Brittany. "Why a knife? You don't need a knife."

"Tweezers will squeeze the venom out. You don't want that, do you?" She asks her, calmly.

"No, but-"

"Don't worry. It'll be quick," she assures her.

"So knife?" I ask.

"Yes. And some alcohol if you can find some."

"Now you're talking." I make a quick dash for the kitchen and grab two knifes and a bottle of vodka from the liquor cabinet. "Here you go," I say, innocently, and hand her a butcher knife.

Sugar's face drains at the sight of the large knife.

"Santana," Brittany warns, not agreeing with my humor.

"I'm kidding!" I pull out a small knife from behind my back and hand it to her along with the vodka.

"I meant rubbing alcohol," Brittany explains, eyeing the vodka.

"Oh. Well that's what I found but if you don't want it then I can think of a better way to use it than on Sugar's dirty feet."

"Can you guys stop talking? I've been attacked!" Sugar whines.

Brittany soaks the tip of the knife in the alcohol and drys it off before delicately maneuvering it over the ball of Sugar's foot. Sugar holds her eyes and lips tightly shut in an over the top display that only she knows how to pull off.

"Done! It's gone." Brittany pinches the tiny stinger between her fingers and holds it up. "Want to put it in a jar and save it?"

"What?" Sugar spits out. "I don't want that thing!"

"Mind if I keep it? It's a cool sevanier."

Sugar eyes her, mentally questioning her request. "Be my guest," she says, then examines her foot. "Can you help me get inside?"

"Of course." Brittany helps her up onto her feet. After she lowers her onto the couch, she pours a bit of vodka onto a kitchen towel and cleans Sugar's tiny wound.

I watch Sugar in amusement. "Is it just me or is your foot growing?"

"Oh my god!" Sugar shrieks.

"It's okay. It's just a bit swollen," Brittany explains. "It happens. We'll get some ice on it and it'll be as good as new in a few hours… Or by tomorrow," she mumbles the last part.

"How do we know she's not having an allergic reaction?" I ask.

"She'd be covered in hives by now if that were the case."

Sugar's brow draws together in worry as she paws around her face.

"Don't worry, Sugar. You'll be fine." Brittany smiles. "I'll keep an eye on you."

"Thank you," Sugar says, sounding somewhat relieved. "You're a great friend, Brittany."

I roll my eyes. "Maybe I'd be more concerned about your health if you hadn't tried to drown me!" I push myself off the couch. "I'll do us both a favor and go get you some clothes." I make a quick trip to the second floor where I change into some shorts and a t-shirt and grab some of Brittany's and Sugar's clothes from their bags. Once I'm back downstairs, I toss Sugar a pair of pajama pants with cherries printed on them and a shirt. "I brought you some dry clothes too," I tell Brittany as I hand her a pair of shorts and a shirt with the face of a cat wearing sunglasses.

"Oh, thank you. This is my favorite shirt." She smiles and pulls it over her head before gracefully slipping out of her humid bra.

"I'm going to start some dinner," I speak out before she gets up to put on her shorts.

Once she's dressed, Brittanys packs some ice into a plastic bag and places it under Sugar's foot.

"You wouldn't happen to have some of your weed, would you?" Sugar asks. "I mean, you know I don't usually do that stuff cause I'm like, a super healthy person but the pain I'm in is extreme. Like, I think this is what Jesus felt when they hammered his feet onto the cross."

I shake my head at her ridiculous comparison as I sort through the groceries we bought on our way here.

"I don't, sorry," Brittany apologizes.

"That's okay. I guess I'll just try to sleep through this torment."

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything." Brittany examines her foot one last time, then crosses the open floor room until she reaches the kitchen island.

"What are you making?" She asks.

"Just some sandwiches. Do you like avocado?" I ask as I slice one in half.

"Yup. Love them." She picks up half of the fruit. "Need help?"

"No, I'm good," I respond without taking my eyes off my working hands.

I can sense her watching me as I pull out a few slices of bacon and lay them on a sizzling pan.

"Can I ask you something?" She suddenly asks.

I hate when people start a conversation with that question. It's almost never a good sign. "Sure."

"Are you mad at me?" She quickly pushes out.

I look up at her, her features displaying clear apprehension. "I'm not mad at you. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you've been kind of different lately… Distant."

"Have I?" I ask, playing dumb as I flip the bacon over.

She nods. "A little. And it kind of started after we…" she pauses and drops her voice to a whisper. "After we kissed. So I thought maybe you were mad at me because of it?"

"No, not at all. I'm not mad."

"Then… Are you worried it'll happen again? Cause I told you it wouldn't. I know you like your space, so I can see why that might have freaked you out but it won't happen again. I promise."

I chuckle. Oh, Brittany, I think to myself. I'm not worried it'll happen again. I'm not freaked out or mad. I wish it'd happen a million more times but it wont, not once because we're friends. She makes sure to remind me about that little fact quite often which makes me pathetically sad, and if I'm being completely honest, it does make me a little mad and frustrated. But I'm frustrated with the situation not Brittany.

"I'm not worried, Britt. I guess… I mean, maybe I did get a little weirded out," I say for lack of a real explanation. "But I'm glad you said something," I smile.

"Really?" She asks, matching my grin. "Cause I thought maybe bringing it up would make things worse. And I'd hate that cause I really love being your friend."

Friendship should not be this painful. "We're good, Britt. I really mean it this time."

"I'll totally believe you if you let me help you make dinner."

I laugh. "You can start spreading mayo on the bread."

With a wide smile she pulls out a butter knife and gets to work.

"Hey, um. I think I actually owe you an apology."

"What?" Brittany questions. "Why?"

"Because I wasn't a very good friend to you when… Well, the night I visited you. I was suppose to go there to talk about your parents and help you get through it, but I kind of just ran away instead."

"I told you before you left that I felt better, remember? I really did. And there's really nothing you or I can do about it," she says, her voice turning sad. "My mom already decided she's filing for divorce."

"I'm sorry, Britt."

She gives a little shrug. "They really did love each other at some point; I'm absolutely sure of that but… Things change. Loves change. Some people are just better off being apart, you know?"

"Yeah. Guess so."

/

"Santana…" I hear a distant voice whisper. "San…"

"Hmm?" I moan, still half asleep.

"Want to go on a bike ride with me?"

I turn over to face the sound of the soft voice and open my eyes into slits. A blurry Brittany is sitting next to me with a warm smile. "What?"

"I found some bikes out back. Do you want to go for a ride?"

"I… What time is it?" I look around for signs of sunlight.

"It's five thirty."

Still hazy I ask. "In the morning?"

She nods.

"What- It's early," I state.

"I know, but we can catch the sunrise if we leave now."

My eyes shut tightly and I let out a grumpy groan.

Brittany chuckles. "Come on sleepy head. You can take a nap when we get back, and I'll make you breakfast," she teases.

"Banana pancakes?" I ask.

She nods. "Sure. And some eggs and bacon."

"Alright, I'm sold." The covers slip off my back as I push off the bed and I feel a rush of cold air hit my naked chest. I gasp and yank the covers over me, my eyes shooting towards Brittany whose eyebrows are arched in complete surprise.

I've never been more embarrassed in my life. "Oh my god."

Brittany tries to mask the laugh she's trying to contain. "I'm going to wait for you downstairs." She hops off the bed and before closing the door behind her she says, with a cheeky smile, "I never took you as the sleep-naked type. "

My cheeks just about catch on fire.

/

"Britt, are you sure this is a good idea? It's kind of scary out here. Actually it's very scary out here," I say as we ride down a dirt road which is only illuminated by a few solar street lamps.

"Just stay close to me. We're almost there."

"I'm not sure you'll be able to do much more than me if a bear or serial killer jumps out from the woods. Where are we going anyway?"

"We're almost there. It's just up on that hill," she says pointing at an incline in front of us. "Start pedaling if you want to make it up there!"

"Brittany, wait!" I plead, already struggling to pedal up the steep hill.

"Push!" Brittany encourages as she reaches the top. "You can do it."

"I really can't." Even though I keep trying to pedal, I come to a complete stop half way up the hill and climb off the bike, having to push it up the rest of the way. "We're not all as fit as you, Britt."

"I'll try to remember that next time." She laughs.

"So this is it?"

"Yeah, it's nice right?"

I look out at the clear view of the dark lake. "I'm going to withhold my comments until the sun comes up."

Brittany pulls out her phone. "It's almost time."

"Good cause I'm seriously creeped out by being here right now. I don't know how you got me to agree to this."

She shrugs and smiles. "I have my ways. And you're easily persuaded by food."

"Sugar's gonna be pissed when she finds out we came without her."

"But she can't ride a bike with a swollen foot."

"I know, but you know she wants to be asked either way."

"I'll make her some pancakes too. She's also easily persuaded by food."

I chuckle. "That's true." The first rays of sun begin peeking out from behind the horizon and I have to say it's pretty amazing. I had never woken up early enough to experience this, let alone at a lake. "This would make a great picture," I comment. "And an even better instagram post."

Brittany laughs and turns her back to the sun. "Sunrise selfie?" She asks as she holds her phone up and waits for me to pose. I lean in towards her and she presses the side of her face against my own before snapping a photo.

She turns the phone for us to see. "Like it?"

"Yeah," I nod looking down at the two of us smiling. "Looks great."

Brittany drags in a long, deep breath and looks out into the lake. "I'm gonna kinda miss Ohio believe it or not. I'm sure they have lakes in other places but this is my home, you know?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like I grew up here so-"

"No, no. I meant, where are you going?"

"Oh, I don't know yet but I do know I'm going somewhere."

I frown, not fully understanding what she means.

"I mean at some point I plan on leaving Ohio. Don't you?" She asks.

"Well… I mean, I've thought about it sometimes, but I have school here and my mom and stuff. I've never really put too much thought into it."

She nods. "You don't have to leave. I didn't mean to make it sound that way, but I've always wanted to see and experience other things. I'm hoping I can do it by next year-"

"Next year?" I interrupt. "But what about school and your family? And your cat. You love your cat."

She chuckles. "I do. I love them all, but they'll be okay. And school well, I'm looking into transferring to an out of state university. I've been saving my money and I'm studying really hard to be able to get some scholarships."

I stay silent for a moment, processing this new information. Brittany's leaving. At the thought, I feel the pit of my stomach begin to collapse the way it does when I get emotional.

"Haven't you thought about what you will do after junior college?" She asks.

"Not really. I mean, I still don't know what I'm doing right now." I say as I try to keep the conversation flowing normally and not bombard her with reasons why she shouldn't go.

Brittany nods. "You'll figure it out. We all do."

The sun shines brighter and I have to look away when my eyes catch its light.

"You okay?"

"Yeah." I shield my eyes from the sunlight and look out at the now orange lake. "You were right. This is really nice. It's beautiful."

Brittany smiles, her eyes a lighter shade of blue as the light reflects off of them. "I've always wanted to see the sun come up."

"You mean this is your first time?" I ask.

She nods.

"Mine too." I smile. "And this is probably the corniest thing I've ever said, like ever, but I think you will shine even brighter than the sun wherever it is that you end up going." I mean it, I really do. But I wish I didn't have to say it. I wish she'd shine here where I could watch the way she will conquer everything she wants the way she's always done.

Brittany breaks into a huge, sheepish grin and slings her arm over my shoulders. "Thank you, San. I know you will too."

/

After a brief walk around the lake, we head back to the cabin where we find a limping Sugar who is not very happy about having been left alone. "Why would you leave me alone in a cabin? Do you not care about me? Have you not watched a single horror film before?" She asks but quickly gets over it when Brittany announces she's making breakfast. And while they figure out a way to shape pancakes into dinosaurs and hearts, I sneak upstairs where instead of slipping back into bed, I make a phone call to my mom. A call which lead to Brittany finding me in an embarrassing state.

"Hey, breakfast is ready," she says as she walks into my room. "Santana?"

I try my best to hide my sniffle and discretely run my fingers beneath my teary eyes. "I'll be down in a sec," I force though a weak smile.

"San, what's wrong?" She nears me at a cautious pace, one you'd use when approaching an animal who might flee at any given second.

I shake my head. "Nothing. Let's go eat. I'm starving." I move towards the door but Brittany's hand is on my arm before I get to it.

"You're crying," she states softly. "What's wrong, Honey?"

The term of endearment almost gets me balling again but I somehow hold back. "It's- it's just," I stutter, the tight knot in my throat making it hard for me to speak.

"What is it?" She takes both my hands and rounds me to get a clear view of me. "You can tell me."

"Nothing, I just… I was talking to my mom… It's her birthday today."

"Why the tears then?" She asks, curiously, her thumbs stroking over my hands. "Are they happy tears?" She smiles.

"Not really." I sniff. "It's my mom's birthday but it's kind of the worst day of the year for us. My um…" I pause, not wanting to say it outloud. "My dad passed away on her birthday when I was eight."

"Oh, San…"

"We don't celebrate her birthday because my dad's passing always lingers in the back of our minds, but I make the effort to lift her spirits every year. It never really works though. We just end up crying."

"I'm sorry, San. Everyone should be happy on their birthday," Brittany says in a tender voice. "Should we get you home?"

I shake my head. "It's okay. I"ll see her tomorrow," I say.

"Now I get why you guys are so close."

"Yeah, we're kind of the only thing we have."

"You have me," Brittany offers.

I chuckle. "I know." Not for much longer, I think to myself.

Brittany watches me, hesitate about something. "Can I ask what happened?... To your dad, I mean."

"He was a cop." I swallow thickly. "There was a robbery at a gas station, and he was off duty but…" I shrug. "He wasn't going to just stand by and watch, you know?"

"Of course," she quickly answers.

The knot in my throat pulls tighter and I allow myself a small sob. "I miss him. What I remember from him, anyway."

Brittany pulls me in for a hug, her arms resting across the length of my back.

"I'm going to miss you too," I confess in a broken voice. "When you leave."

"I'll miss you too," Brittany says. She squeezes me tight against her body before loosening her hold to get a look at me. "But it won't be forever. I'll be back. And we still have a year, right? We should enjoy it."

I nod and pull her back towards me, hiding my face between her neck and wishing I never had to let her go.

/

That evening, the three of us sprawl out in the living room area for what Sugar calls "Sugar's Cabin Night Party for Three which I thought didn't make much sense but I've given up questioning her ideas.

"I win!" Sugar lays out her cards in front of us.

"You didn't win," I argue. "Your cards are completely random. You don't really know how to play Poker, do you?"

"Look, I'm the only one betting money, here. I think I should be able to decide who wins." She pulls in the singles she had thrown out in the center of our circle earlier. "Let's play another round."

"Let's not," I say, tossing my cards on the rug.

Brittany chugs down the last of her cider then covers her mouth in embarrassment when she burps. "Sorry."

I smile.

"I have to use the ladies room," she announces. "Don't start playing without me." She hops up to her feet and hurries to the bathroom.

Once she's out of site, I scoot closer to Sugar. "Did you know she was leaving the state?"

"Who?" Sugar asks, confused.

"Brittany!"

"Oh! No, I didn't. She just told me this morning when we were making breakfast. I think that's super cool and super brave of her."

"Aren't you upset that she's leaving?"

"Upset?" A single eyebrow rises in question. "No. Why would I be? I'm sad cause I'm gonna miss her a lot but I'm not upset." She shuffles the deck of cards then her head snaps back up. "You are, aren't you?"

"What? No. I'm just sad like you."

"Liar."

"Ok so I'm a little upset that she's leaving and ditching us here, but I know it's stupid of me so don't mention it in front of her."

"I won't mention it because it is stupid." She shuffles the cards again then says, "You're not mad at the fact that she's leaving us though, you're mad at the fact that she's leaving you. If it bothers you that much you should follow her. You've got that college fund your dad left you."

"First of all, I'm not mad. There's a big difference between mad and upset. And secondly, that's ridiculous and quite frankly creepy and border line stalkerish."

She shrugs. "I know you love her-"

"Sugar!" I scold, looking over my shoulder to make sure Brittany's not there.

"I told you I wouldn't push you to tell her how you feel anymore, but it's not like I'm just going to forget!"

"I know, but can you just keep your voice down, please?"

Sugar's eyes go wide. "Oh my god."

"What?"

"I said you l-o-v-e her and you didn't deny it. This is huge!"

"SHH!"

Sugar whispers, "So you admit it then? They're not just feelings anymore?" She asks, excitedly.

I sigh in defeat and avoid a direct answer. "It doesn't matter what it is. She's leaving."

"She might stay if you tell her."

I shake my head. "I wouldn't do that to her. She really wants to go live her life out there. Wherever that is. As much as I want her to stay, I'm not going to confuse her with some love declaration." I take a deep, confident breath. "We'll just have to enjoy her while we can."

/

Three Months Later…

"I hate to say I told you so," Brittany says.

"Do you really?" I ask. "I know you didn't like her."

"It's not that. I just knew she wasn't a good fit for you." She shrugs. "I'm surprised you guys dated for almost three months."

Sugar returns with three champagne flutes and hands us one each. "I can tell we're still talking about the breakup by the look on your face," she tells me. "So I'd like to add to the conversation by saying that I liked Sandra. She had an amazing sense of fashion, but your names were too similar."

"What does that have to do with anything?" I question.

She shrugs. "It was easy to get you guys confused."

"How- What-" I start.

Brittany clamps my clips with her delicate fingers. "Let's not fight. Okay?" She waits for me to nod then releases me and raises her glass to her lips. "Champagne?" She asks, looking at Sugar. "How did you get these? I thought it as cider."

"I told the bartender they were for my dad and his friends," Sugar explains.

"Nice!" Brittany gives her a wink before taking another sip. "You guys wanna dance?" She asks the both of us.

"Brittany, we're at a corporate ball with classical music. You don't exactly dance here."

"Sure you can. You can dance anywhere and to anything."

"I don't know, Brittany. I usually agree with you but Santana might be right. I dont want to embarrass my dad."

"You won't embarrass him." Brittany laughs. "Come on, I'll show you two," she says and drags us to a open space area where she takes turns swaying with us.

/

Four months Later

Hey, Britt. No pressure but you're like fifteen minutes late and the movie is about to start.

Her reply comes a few moments later.

Britt-Britt I'm so sorry! I fell asleep when I got home but I'll be there asap!

These kinds of excuses have become a norm as of late. I don't blame her though. She's been super busy with university applications and trying to keep up with volleyball practice, school and work. Her curriculum is so impressive that I'm sure every school she applies to will accept her.

Don't worry about it. You should go back to sleep. You need it.

Britt-Britt Are you sure? I know I've been flaking lately :(

I'm sure :) We know you're busy and super tired.

Britt-Britt Okay, but I'll make it up to both you and Sugar! I promise!

/

Two months Later…

"God I love these shows. The trashier the better," I say as I sit through a Real Housewives of Atlanta re-run. "I gotta admit I'm pretty ashamed about the fact that I enjoy them so much, but it's like crack. Do you think watching it makes me trashy?" When there's no response I say, "Britt?"

"Hmm?" Brittany hums without taking her eyes off her notebook.

"Still working on your statistics homework?" I ask, moving up the bed to sit next to her.

"Mhm."

"I wish I could help you but you know math is like a different language for me."

"That's okay," Brittany mumbles, emerged in her work.

I can't help but feel like a burden so I stand up, ready to leave. "Hey, I'm gonna get going."

At that, Brittany's eyes quickly flick from her notes to me. "Why? The episode isn't over yet, is it?"

"No, but I've already seen it. Plus, I'm only interrupting you. I know you have work to get done so I'll just catch you later." I smile, making sure she understands that I'm not trying to make her feel bad about being busy.

"No, wait." She crawls across her bed and reaches for my hand. "I know it's annoying that I'm always busy but it'll be over soon."

"You'll be gone soon," I say, almost in a whisper.

She frowns. "Please don't go."

I sigh. "Britt."

"I know! Let's go to the movies!"

"What? No. What about your homework?"

"I can finish it after work tomorrow," she says, already pulling on her shoes. "Plus I told you I'd make it up to you like months ago and I still haven't so my treat tonight."

"Brittany-"

"No, no. Don't Brittany me. We'll call Sugar on the way, c'mon." She says as she leads me out the door.

/

Three Months Later…

"I'm 100% sure you go it, Britt. Just open it," I encourage.

Brittany purses her lips nervously as we sit at her kitchen table. She lifts the crispy white envelope and holds it lightly in her hands. "What if I didn't?"

"You already got into Colorado, North Carolina, and Ohio State. I don't think those Californians at Davis are stupid enough to not accept you."

She smiles but makes no move to unseal the envelope. "Can you open it?"

"Of course." I take the letter from her and open it, careful not to rip it in the wrong places. I pull out a single piece of paper and stall before reading it because if I'm being completely honest, I'm also nervous about what it will say. Brittany's first choice is California but if she gets accepted she'll be leaving to study across the country. "Dear Brittany Pierce, Congratulations." My heart sinks. "You have been accepted to the University of Calif-" Brittany claps loudly and tackles me with a hug.

"I got in!" She lets go of me and stands up. "I got in! Oh my god! I need to tell my mom!" She runs to her bedroom and comes back holding her phone to her ear. "No! I'm not joking!" She assures her. When she's done convincing her mom that she got accepted to all four colleges, she sits back down with the biggest smile. "I got in," she states in disbelief.

"You did," I nod with a smile. "Congratulations."

Noticing my lack of excitement, her smile slowly fades. She reaches for my hand. "What's wrong? Are you not happy for me?"

"Of course I am." I squeeze her hand. "I am… I'm proud of you."

"San-" There's a knock on the door. "Hang on. We're not done talking." She leaves the kitchen and when she re-enters, she's followed by Sugar.

"So?" Sugar waits. "Did you get in?"

Brittany hands her the letter.

"You did!" Sugar shouts, her eyes scanning the writings. "Brittany! That's crazy!" Her arms wrap around Brittany who lifts her an inch off the ground. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Brittany says, grinning from ear to ear.

"Did you tell her your big news?" Sugar asks me, releasing Brittany.

Brittany raises a curious brow. "What news?"

"She got accepted into The University of Chicago!"

"What! Really?" Brittany asks in astonishment.

I chuckle and nod from my seat.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Brittany wonders. "That's such good news, Santana! I didn't even know you applied!"

"I didn't want it to seem like I was trying to take your spotlight. You've been working your ass off for this and I only got in because Sugar's dad knows the dean."

"That's not true," Sugar argues. "I mean yeah my dad knows the dean but he only put in a good word for her."

"This is amazing, San," she says as she bends to hold me in her arms. When she pulls back she looks conflicted. "Hey, maybe I should go to Columbia."

"What? Why?" Sugar questions.

"It's a really good school and it'd be nice to be able to come home during my time off. And I don't know… Maybe I can even visit Chicago?" She looks at me, hopeful for some positive feedback.

"Britt, all you've been talking about for the past few months is going to California," I say.

"Yeah, I know but now that it can actually happen it's kind of a scary thought."

"You're being crazy!" Sugar protests. "You've wanted this forever. And you worked so hard for it. It's your dream!" She looks at me. "Santana, tell her!"

"She's right, Britt." With a heavy heart, I say, "You should go. You need to go."

Brittany's eyes drop to the floor as a mix of sadness and worrisome wash over her face. "I'm just gonna miss you guys so much."

"Brittany…" Sugar whispers, her eyes swelling with tears. "You're gonna make me cry and it literally took me thirty minutes to get my eye makeup just right today."

"I'm sorry." Brittany chuckles. "It's just that, being away from you guys is the biggest downside to this."

Before Sugar chokes on her own tears, she flings her arms around Brittany. That nasty knot begins to form in my throat as I watch the display which I soon become part of when Brittany pulls me into their hug.

"California is gonna be so lucky to have you, Britt," I say, my face buried in her neck.

"Chicago will be even more lucky to have you," she says.

"But Ohio is the luckiest," Sugar pipes in and makes the three of us giggle as we tighten our embrace.

/

A Few Weeks Later…

Sugar Mommy: Where are you? Brittany's about to leave!

I'm still at work. They're keeping me an extra hour

Sugar Mommy: Can't you say it's an emergency?! Brittany is leaving! You can't let her go without saying goodbye!

What do you want me to do, Sugar? I can't just leave

Sugar Mommy: I can't believe you

A separate text message intersects Sugar's.

Britt-Britt:We're leaving to the airport now. U really can't make it? I don't want to go without saying goodbye to u :(

I'm sorry, Britt. I hope you have a good flight though.

Cold. That was cold. Even for me.

Britt-Britt: :( Okay. Thank you. I'll call you tonight when I get there.

A second text quickly follows.

Britt-Britt:I love you. And I'll miss you

My fingers hover over the screen of my phone as my eyes flood with tears. "I love you. And I'll miss you," I keep repeating in my head.

I'll miss you too, Britt. Be safe.

I toss my phone on my night stand and bury my face in my pillow where my painful sobs are silenced the way my love will have to become accustomed to.