Never mind tomorrow, could we just stay and lay right where we are? Just for one night, it's like the world's not falling apart

- Headlights by The National Parks

(November 2011)

If there is one thing that Hailey hates, it's fancy police functions. It's bad enough she has to wear the terrible polyester blues to work every day but having to come to some banquet hall with a bunch of politicians and city officials on what is supposed to be her night off is a whole other level of torture.

She's not even supposed to be here. She's still only on patrol and there are barely any other patrol officers here. Hailey knows she's not here tonight because of her current job title, but because of where she is going next, and something about that makes her feel worse about being here.

Since she is one of the few patrol officers here, she does not know anyone. Hailey spends the first two hours of the party just bouncing from person to person, making painfully boring small talk, earning a few too many confused looks about why a patrol officer like her would be here at something like this.

But each time, she smiles and she nods and she just laughs nervously until the other person changes the conversation.

Time goes slow and Hailey checks her phone a few too many times, waiting for it to be 10:00 pm so she can finally leave. With less than a half-hour left, she is feeling all kinds of antsy, more than desperate to get out of her uniform and into her bed.

Time moves slow and then before Hailey can do anything about it, she sees him, and time completely freezes.

One minute, she's standing there ready to bolt out of this place and now, her feet are glued to the floor, her body unsure if she should walk up to him and say something or if she should just let it go.

Let him go.

Hailey almost feels like she is dreaming right now and that soon, she will wake up and this will just be another day that she dreamt of seeing him and didn't. But the many emotions running through her head – the surprise, the regret, the hurt – they all tell her this is real and he is over there on the other side of the room. So close, but still, too far.

He looks the same as the past few times she has seen him. A little older and arms a little more defined, but overall, still the same. They have run into each other a few times in the past year, sometimes crossing paths at a crime scene or on the street, but it's only happened a handful of times and they never have had enough time to have a proper conversation. Normally, it's stolen glances and eyes that are screaming what neither of them can say. If they manage to talk, it's small talk, hellos and how are yous, and the unspoken promise of someday. They work in different districts and she assumes that they live on opposite ends of town and neither of them is bold enough to pick up the phone and say something to the other, so they live in the land of in-between, neither of them sure how they act or how they move on.

The last time she talked to him, sitting in a hospital room, they left there feeling hopeful, that maybe they could make it work, but now, over a year later, Hailey isn't as sure. Maybe the idea of a second chance was the lie they told themselves when things ended so it would be easier to leave, but deep down, both of them knew that was it.

Hailey hopes that is not it but sometimes, it's hard to not let those feelings creep in.

Every time she sees him, it hurts. Plain and simple, it hurts. She sees his face and thinks of a future she wanted so desperately that slipped through her fingers. She thinks about how he was the only constant in her life and she managed to push him away.

And even if she knows it was for the best, knows that they needed time and space, it does not make it hurt any less. Because every time she sees him, she remembers that they are not together and each time, it becomes a little harder to imagine a world where they are together again.

Her brain tells her to leave, to turn around right now and let this be another one of those days where she sees him and does not talk to him, but she knows that she can't make the life change she is about to make without talking to him, as selfish as that may be.

He's laughing and he looks happy and maybe it's wrong that she goes over there and potentially ruins that for him, but before she can talk herself out of it, Hailey is walking across the room, eyes set on him.

Before she is able to call out, Jay sees her, those familiar green eyes going wide in surprise. For a moment, Hailey waits for him to ignore her or even to walk away. It's only fair when she's the one who asked for time. But instead, he turns to the other officers he was talking to and excuses himself before taking a few steps away from the crowd and over towards her.

"You know," Jay says as he walks over, startling her. "By this point in my life, I should be more surprised when I don't run into you somewhere."

"It's getting to be a little crazy, huh?" Hailey shrugs, scanning him up and down in his police blues. It's not the first time she has seen him dressed up like this and it makes her think of his graduation from the Police Academy or when he used to come home from work still dressed in his uniform. Seeing him now, a little older, still sporting the same uniform, it makes her miss all of those simple moments.

"It's been a while this time," Jay hums. "I don't think we've properly talked in…"

"Over a year," she finishes his sentence. "I was still in the Academy."

Jay nods. "You finished your rookie year, didn't you?"

Hailey smiles, and even though it's not a big detail for him to remember, it makes her stomach flip a little. "A couple of months back, yeah. You still working the beat over at the 16th?"

"Actually," Jay draws out the word. He turns over his shoulder, looking for someone, before turning back to Hailey and taking a small step forward. "Between you and me, there's a Sergeant over in Organized Crime in the 21st district who wants me to join his unit in a few months. He's talked about me taking the detectives exam in the next couple years and everything."

Hailey smiles, but it's bittersweet because even though she always knew deep down he would do big things, she wishes she was by his side while he was doing it all.

"That's amazing, Jay," she says softly. "I'm really happy for you."

"What about you?" He asks. "Still on patrol at the 26th?"

Hailey nods quickly. "Yeah. Still there. It's good."

His eyes scrunch up at her answer, and he cocks his head to the side. "What is it?"

"Wha-" Hailey starts to question, but he doesn't let her finish.

"You're not telling me something," he cuts in.

It shouldn't shock her that he can still read her like an open book, that he can tell something is up even from the few words she just said. She sighs and shakes her head, not quite sure what to say.

"Something wrong at work?" He continues. "Or at home-"

There is clear worry on his face, that maybe she does not like her job or she is struggling at home, and it's a little overwhelming, how after all this time, he still cares about her as much as he did when they were dating.

"No," she says quickly to calm his nerves. "Nothing's wrong."

He nods, not quite buying her answer, remaining quiet in the hopes that she will fill the silence. It's the same way he was years ago; he won't let up on something, especially when it comes to her.

"I'm going undercover," she whispers, looking past him as the words fall from her lips because she is not quite sure she can stomach his response. It's quiet for a moment and when she looks back over at him, she realizes she was right.

The concern on his face has only grown and now, it's mixed with shock and worry. It's a look that she does not think she has ever seen on his face before and right now, it's coming close to ruining her.

"What?" He whispers out in shock.

"When I finished my rookie year," she explains with a sigh. "I was approached to see if I was interested in doing some UC work for different departments."

"And you said yes?" Jay asks and she just nods. He lets out a low sigh, shaking his head. "I didn't even know you were thinking of UC work."

"I wasn't," Hailey admits. "It kinda just happened. But it makes sense, you know? It would mean I would be…."

She stops herself before she finishes her sentence, but by the look on his face, he knows where she is going with it.

Undercover work lets her be free. It lets her be independent. It lets her not be stuck for the first time in her life.

It's a clear ticket to something new, to moving up in the CPD and making a better life for herself. People like Hailey are not handed too many golden tickets, so she is taking this one with both hands.

"That's why you're here," Jay murmurs so softly she almost does not hear him. "They only bring patrol officers to these things when different Sergeants want to talk to them."

Hailey gives a small nod. "I've already got my first case booked but my handler thought it would be a good idea to talk to some other Sergeants."

Jay bobs his head, but she can't read the expression on his face. It's not like him to be disapproving of a decision she is making, but it is clear that he is not on board with all of this.

"When do you leave?"

"Couple of days," Hailey responds, almost wincing at the disappointed sigh Jay lets out. This isn't how she wanted this conversation to go and for weeks, she has tried to figure out how to tell him. But right here at the police gala, it was not what she wanted. She didn't want people around them and she most certainly did not want the current uncomfortable silence that had fallen over them. She knows Jay must be processing a lot right now but it makes her nervous as she wants for him to say something.

"If that's the reason you're here," he finally says. "I kinda wish that I didn't run into you tonight. At least that way, you wouldn't be leaving again."

Again.

It would be bad enough if she was leaving, but she is leaving again. The entire time she has known him, it has always been one of them leaving, a constant theme of hellos and goodbyes and she is not sure how much of it she can take, because each goodbye gets a little harder and each one breaks her heart a little more.

"I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you," she whispers honestly. "But I-"

"I get it," he gently finishes. He looks past her as he bites the inside of his cheek, most likely in an attempt to regulate his emotions. When he looks back towards her, he lets out a sad little chuckle. "So much for that second chance, huh?"

If the way he looked at her the night they broke up tore her apart, the hopeless look he sends her way tonight destroys her. He knows that she is signing up for an uncertain amount of time of undercover work and that means the second chance they kept promising themselves might never happen.

"Maybe we should stop chasing someday," she breathes out before she can stop herself. "Maybe it won't come."

He looks up at her with sad eyes and she can tell he is doing his best to not cry. It feels odd, having such a personal conversation here, surrounded by so many strangers and she is sure if they were anywhere else, the tears would be free-flowing by this point.

"You don't actually believe that, do you?" He whispers harshly, the smallest glimmer of hope finally returning to his eyes.

"No, I don't," Hailey shakes her head. "But Jay, this….I don't know if I can keep doing this."

The hoping and the waiting and the constantly thinking about it. The holding on to the idea of a someday that might never come. It hurts her more than she can explain and no matter how much she does not want to give it up, if she is going to go undercover, they both need to finally be real with themselves.

"Hailey, no-"

"Jay," she cuts him off. "I'm leaving. I need to do this. I don't know how long I'll be gone. I can't do that to you."

"I'll wait," he fights, voice soft in the chatter of the party. She knows that he means it, that he'll wait forever and she would wait forever for him too, but they've got no guarantees and she just wants him to be happy.

That's all she has ever wanted. Ever since that first time she left when she was a kid, she just wanted him to be happy, whether she was living next door or she never saw him again.

And back then, she had to hope and pray that he was happy, even if she was not standing next to him to see it.

Now, she has to have the same belief.

"Jay, I want you to live your life," she whispers. "I want you to be happy and do all the big things I know you are going to do. I don't want you to keep putting your life on hold for me. Especially if-"

If we never get our second chance

If the UC work changes me

If I never come back

"I can't be the thing that breaks you," she breathes out. Her fists are balled tight at her side, her nails digging into her skin to distract herself enough so that she does not cry. Despite the heaviness of their conversation, they both still look calm and to anyone looking at them, they must appear as colleagues talking about work, not two people with far too much history saying goodbye one last time.

"Then give me tonight," he whispers, surprising her. She looks up at him in confusion, noticing the way he is finally starting to lose his composure and his eyes are starting to water.

"Give me tonight," he continues before she can say anything. "I'll walk away. I'll move on. I'll try to be happy. But give me one more night. Give me a proper goodbye."

A proper goodbye. It's the one thing that, despite all of the years they have spent together, they have never gotten.

She should say no. She should do what she almost did a half-hour ago, which is walk away. Saying yes, it will hurt, it will make her not want to go. It will surely only add to the thousands of regrets she has. Saying no is safer. It's easier. It will protect her.

But then she sees his eyes, the same look of love that has been there for years, and she knows that he is it for her, he always will be. And it's so incredibly cruel that they met at the wrong time and they weren't meant to be.

Or maybe, they met at the right time and they were meant to be, they just weren't meant to be forever.

Either way, it's a tragic fate, but it does not change the fact he is always going to be her soulmate, her favorite person, her better half.

"Tonight," Hailey whispers. "Let's have tonight."

A small, sad grin grows on his face and before she knows it, he is grabbing her hand and tugging her through the crowd, neither one of them stopping to check the time to see if they are actually good to leave, and neither one of them saying goodnight to the Sergeants who brought them here.

He pulls her into the cold outside air and then, he's leading her to a truck. She doesn't question any of it, just follows him blindly, like she always has done.

Like she will always want to do.

It should concern him how easily Hailey follows him, how she does not ask a single question as she hops up into the passenger side of his truck like she has done it a million times. For a second, it almost feels normal and like they are headed home together, but instead, they are headed to say goodbye.

She does not ask where he is taking her, and Jay is thankful for that because it might make him rethink this. His heart tells him he needs this, but his brain is screaming that he is going to regret this in the morning. That the pain of saying goodbye is going to be too much this time and he should just call it quits while he is still ahead.

But then he looks over at her and a future flashes in front of his eyes, a future that he knows now, he is never going to get. It's dreams of a wedding, babies, a house, and a dog, all gone before he can even blink. He can get this, though, a goodbye and something that resembles closure, so he keeps driving.

The whole drive is quiet until he turns onto a familiar street, and she must realize what's going on because she looks over at him with a soft, hesitant smile.

"When's the last time you've been here?" She asks.

"My dad still lives here," he nods towards her window, quickly glancing at his childhood home up the street. "I stayed with him for a few weeks after we broke up until I got settled, but I haven't been back since."

Hailey hums. "And the park?"

Jay sighs, shaking his head. "Night before you left the first time."

That little old park is starting to come into view over the hood of his car. He hasn't been there since he was sixteen and was waiting to ask her to homecoming the next day. He remembers being so nervous that night, surprised that Hailey did not call him out for his strange demeanor. Looking back, he wishes he enjoyed that moment more because he didn't know it would be his last time with her for a long time.

After she left when they were teenagers, he couldn't bring himself to go back to the park. It made him think of her too much and he was already doing that enough. So, he never went back.

But if tonight's the last night he gets with her, he needs to bring her here, to where he fell in love with her in the first place.

"I haven't been back here since I came and found you after your tour," she whispers. "It all still looks the same."

"Yeah," he agrees softly. "It does."

He keeps his eyes set on the road because if he looks to his right and sees the houses where they grew up, the sidewalk that they used to walk down every day, Hailey looking at it all and remembering what they used to have, Jay knows he will break down.

His truck comes to a stop by the sidewalk of the park and as he cuts the engine, she throws him a sad, knowing look. Neither of them speaks as they get out of the car and walk over to the swings. It's dark, the only light is the few street lamps and the moon, and the park is empty, but neither of them mind. They settle into their old spot, and if it were any other circumstance, Jay would make a joke about how they are two grown adults sitting on children's swings.

But tonight, there are no jokes. It's silence, uncomfortable loaded glances, and thousands of loud, unspoken thoughts bouncing around in both of their brains.

"I hate this," Hailey whispers, finally breaking their silence. It's clear she is starting to tear up, voice thick with emotion.

He looks up at her, noticing her glassy eyes that are already trained on him, silently urging her to continue.

"I hate that it's always goodbye with us. I hate that I'm always so damn sad because I love you and I want this to work, I just-"

Her voice fades out as her tears overtake her and she bites her lip in a futile attempt to make them stop. Seeing her so torn up, it breaks him, and the tears that were building in his eyes at the gala start to return.

"I didn't know what love was when I was sixteen," he starts. She looks up at him confused, silently sniffling as he continues. "But I knew I loved you. I've always loved you. And it makes me so mad that we could never make it work."

"Me too," she whispers. "We were supposed to be happy."

"We were happy," he tells her.

Hailey breathes out a sad sigh and shakes her head at him. "You know what I mean."

They were happy, but it wasn't enough. Because they were supposed to be happy in the future, not just happy for a moment. It was supposed to be happy with a house and kids and a future, and all of that, it looks to be gone now.

"You're always gonna be the best thing that happened to me," Jay glances down at the ground, his feet kicking at the mulch. He lets out a low breath and feels a tear roll down his cheek as he turns back to her. "Even if it didn't work out, you are the greatest thing in my life."

"You're the greatest thing that has happened to me too," she whispers. "I never knew what love looked like...but you showed me…"

Her voice cracks again and she looks up at the sky, pressing her lips tight together. She lets out a heavy sigh and looks back at him.

"I always knew I loved you. Please know that."

"I do," he murmurs quickly, without hesitation. "I've always known."

"So much for Tallahassee, huh?" She lets out a watery chuckle and he can't help but smile at her words. They were such child-like dreams, but there was so much belief in them, that it makes it hurt more that they're never going to come true.

"We got Chicago, though," he tells her. "And our time here wasn't so bad."

"Favorite memory?" She asks him. He looks over her in confusion and she wipes at her tears before giving him a soft smile. "It's been over ten years. What's your favorite memory of us?"

There are too many to count. Too many memories that bring a smile to his face or make his heart skip a beat, but there's one that gets him the most.

"First day I met you," he tells her. She lets out a small laugh, clearly not expecting that answer. But as he thinks back to a much younger Hailey, to seeing her for the first time, he knows that's his favorite moment of them all.

"That day changed my life forever," Jay continues with a grin. "I didn't know it then, but it did. I mean, I have so many favorite memories, but I think that's number one."

"I think for me it was a week after you moved in," Hailey says quickly, catching him off guard. There is a small smile on her face as she thinks back and it makes the corner of his lips turn up in his own smile as he stills his swing and he looks over at her.

"You finally had all of your stuff put away and you were making dinner to celebrate. I came up behind you and then you grabbed my hand and before I knew it, we were dancing in the kitchen."

If he tries hard, maybe he can remember the specific moment she is referring to, but honestly, it was such a normal occurrence, for them to be wrapped up in each other acting like fools in their too small kitchen.

"I spent my whole life thinking I was never gonna get to be happy," she looks up at him with a sad smile. "But that was the first time I thought I might be wrong. I felt truly happy that day."

Without even thinking, Jay stands up and moves in front of her, extending his hand towards her. She cocks her head to the side questioningly, wiping away a few stray tears as she gazes up at him.

"Dance with me," he whispers before she can say anything.

"Jay-"

"I know it's not the same. I know we are not going to be as happy as we were that day. But I love you. Please, Hailey."

Silently, she puts her hand in his and stands up. It feels like muscle memory, the way she steps into his embrace, how his arm wraps around her, and her head rests on his chest as they slowly sway in the dark. He's got one hand on her lower back and the other is securely holding hers and he does not want to let it go, knowing it's probably the last time he is going to hold her hand.

It's quiet as they dance, neither of them needing to put voice to their thoughts, the unspoken words already deafeningly loud. They both know this is the last moment of peace before it all comes crumbling down, so for a moment, they are going to savor it.

A part of him wonders if he knew how the story would end when he was sixteen if he would change things. The pain in his chest tells him yes, but then he looks down, her own glassy eyes already peering up at him and the answer is clear.

Even if this is how it ends, he would not change a thing.

"I'm always going to love you," Jay whispers softly, almost startling her. She looks at him like she wants to say something, but she can't find the words, her thoughts already too loud, and he thinks he knows the feeling, so he continues.

"Even if we can't be together, I am never going to stop loving you. I promise."

It's a promise he makes, but it won't be a hard promise to keep because, honestly, he does not think he could stop loving her if he tried.

"I'm always gonna love you too," Hailey sniffles quietly. "I'm sorry that things didn't work out differently."

"Me too," he says. He wants to offer her something, say that maybe one day they will find each other again, but that false hope hurts too much right now, so he settles with "But, hey, the years we had? They were really good."

Hailey gives a sad little nod. "They were."

"You gotta promise me something, Hailey," he whispers, and she looks up at him with a questioning glance. He squeezes her hand that is still firmly pressed in his as he says, "You gotta promise me you are going to be happy-"

"Jay-"

"No," he cuts her off gently. "You are the best person I know, and you deserve to be happy. So, go be happy. Don't let anything stand in your way. Promise me that."

She stares at him hesitantly, not moving for a few seconds, until finally, she slowly nods. "Okay. I promise."

"Good," he murmurs before letting a small smirk grow on his face. "And one more thing."

"Yeah?"

"You have to promise me you are going to stay out of trouble. "

She lets out a small laugh and he savors it, thinking it's probably one of the last times he'll hear what quickly became his favorite sound. It's a sound he does not think he's ever going to forget, one that he's not sure he's ready to never hear again.

A small smile curls on her lips as she nods, a little bigger this time. "I promise," she says. "You gotta promise me something too, okay?"

He nods, already knowing what she is going to say. She lets out a sigh, glancing down to the invisible space between their close bodies, before looking back up at him, fresh tears starting to form.

"Promise me you're gonna be happy," she whispers through the tears. "And promise me you are going to stay safe."

"Of course."

"And-" she breathes out, then stops, her voice getting caught in her throat. "Promise you're not gonna forget."

There's an unspoken word at the end of the sentence and he knows she is really saying "promise you're not going to forget me" but she can't find the strength to voice the words.

But he gets it. Especially when he can't quite find the strength to tell her he will never forget any of it. Not her. Not the way he loved her or the way she felt in his arms. Not the way her smile looked first thing in the morning or the way her laugh filled their tiny apartment.

He won't forget a single second.

"I won't," he finally says. "I promise I won't forget…" he pauses, tugging her a little closer, even though she's already pressed up against him. He leans his forehead against hers and sways silently for a moment before adding "Promise you won't forget either?"

"Promise."

The silence envelops them again and he just listens to the sound of her breathing and focuses on the feeling of her body against his. It's grounding and it almost makes him forget what is about to happen.

"Jay?" She leans back and looks up at him after a moment, a shy look on her face.

"Yeah?"

"Can I make one more request?" She asks, waiting for him to respond. He nods, and she bites her lip nervously, thinking through her words before she finally says, "This is our night, right?"

"Yeah, it is," his voice is a small whisper, and he is unsure of where she is going with this, but he trusts her.

"Take me home then."

His eyes grow and he looks down at her for any hint of hesitation or doubt, but he finds none. For the first time tonight, her face is certain. If this is goodbye, then they need this. For both of them.

He doesn't answer, just tugs on the hand that he's been holding, leading her back to the truck without another word.

It feels like that first night, stumbling into her apartment with one goal in mind.

Only this time, it's not a mad dash with fervent hands and hungry kisses. Tonight it's slow and it's time consuming. It's not the excitement of the first time, trying to not miss a thing, but it's both of them trying to memorize every little detail so they don't forget.

It's not what they thought would be a one-night stand. It's what they both know will be goodbye.

He silences her moans with his kiss and he wipes away her tears with his fingers, reminding her how much he loves her at every chance he gets.

She whispers against his skin that he is always gonna be it for her, that she will always love him, and it's almost enough to make him lose himself then and there.

And then, he does lose himself, just like he has lost himself with her countless nights before, and for a moment, it's not goodbye and it's not sad. They are just them.

Jay holds her close in the quiet the following morning, her head on his chest, neither of them ready to move, because moving means goodbye.

"I wish we could run away," she whispers into the silence, looking up at him to see if he's listening. She smiles when she notices that he was already looking at her.

"Yeah?" He asks quietly, letting his one hair raise up to gently brush some hair off of her face. His fingers take their time tracing her jaw and running down her arm before resting his hand on her side.

She nods against his chest. "Run away from our jobs and our families and all of our problems. I wish we could just find somewhere that's just ours and stay there forever."

"Right here is ours," he says, hand running up and down her bareback. "And maybe we can't stay here forever, but right here is always gonna be happy."

"Right here," she whispers, mulling over the thought. "You're right. This is always gonna be a happy memory."

He kisses the top of her head, feeling her chest heave against him as she lets out a breath she was holding in. They stay there for a few more minutes until Jay reluctantly starts to pull himself away, knowing that if he does not force himself to do this now, he never will.

He gets dressed quickly as Hailey throws on a simple t-shirt, the fabric skimming against her legs. He smiles at the picture in front of him, remembering so many lazy mornings of her in her shirt, the two of them laughing and happy.

He toes on his boots and shoves his keys in his pocket and then awkwardly stands in the middle of the living room.

"I guess this is it," Hailey starts, nervously chewing her lip.

"Yeah," Jay nods. "It is."

Then, it's silent again, as they watch the other, waiting, hoping.

"If you ever need anything-" she says, but her voice trails off and she glances at the floor.

"You too," he offers. "Anything."

"Thanks, Jay."

And then it's the same cycle. Silence. Watching. Waiting. Hoping.

Until Jay finally breaks.

"Come here," he whispers and Hailey wastes no time and takes two quick steps towards him, wrapping her arms around his middle and resting her head against his chest. He holds her tight, letting his cheek come to rest on the top of her head.

"I love you," he whispers. "Always have."

"I love you too," she mumbles into his chest. "Always will."

He can hear her sniffling and can feel some of her tears start to stain his shirt, but he doesn't care. His own tears are starting to well in his eyes and he is trying to blink them away, but he knows it's no use. Jay leans back out of her embrace and dips his head to catch her lips with his, pouring every unsaid "I love you" and "I'm sorry" into the kiss, saying what he knows there will never be enough time to say. The kiss is salty from both of their tears and slow, both of them needing to savor this moment for as long as they can.

Jay doesn't know who pulls back first but when they do, he finds himself instinctively chasing after her lips again. He presses one last quick kiss to her lips, breathing out "always" again as he rests his forehead against hers. He is unsure of how long they stand there, prolonging the inevitable, but eventually, they pull away, and Hailey looks up at him with a sad smile.

"Bye Jay," she breathes out in a watery whisper.

It takes him a moment, the words caught in his throat, but he uses every last bit of strength he has to whisper, "Goodbye, Hailey."

She opens the door for him and he looks at her one more time, looks at his past and his happiness and what should have been his future. He gives her one last sad smile and then, he leaves.

It's not the first time he's walked away from her. Walking away from each other has been an all too common occurrence in their lives, but each time one of them left, there was a little hope that they would see each other again.

But this time, walking away doesn't come with a promise of someday. This time, walking away is goodbye.