"That dinner was amazing, Emma. I love chicken pot pie – it's almost as good as my mom's," Grace spoke with a bright smile. Her brown eyes then widened when she realized her implication.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" she instantly apologized.

Emma only smiled and waved her hand in dismissal before she assured the teenage girl, "Don't even worry about it – most people believe that their mother's cooking is the best."

Grace smiled widely back at her in response.

Killian then asked, "Would you two care for a brownie?" He then jokingly added, "Don't worry, my sister made them, not me."

Emma, Grace, and Liam laughed at that before the dark-haired teenager asked, "Are those the same ones you said were from Grandma's recipe?"

"The very same," Killian answered.

Liam then turned to his girlfriend and spoke, "You have to try one."

"As amazing as that sounds, I'm so full," Grace told him. She then asked Killian, "Is it cool if I bring one home?"

"Of course, love. You can even bring some for your parents," he answered. The teenage girl smiled in response.

Emma and Killian then got up and began clearing the six-person dining room table. When Liam and Grace rose to help, Emma stopped them.

"You two can just hang out here. Killian and I will take care of it."

"Thanks, Mom," Liam answered with a smile. Emma smiled back at her son in response before she joined her husband in the kitchen.

Liam then turned his attention back to his girlfriend and twirled a piece of red hair around his finger. He then told her, "You know, I think I like the red better than the brown."

"Even though you called me carrots when we were kids?" Grace responded, a teasing lilt in her voice.

"That was only one time when I was like 8. It's not my fault that you wore your hair in braids and I happened to think it looked like carrots," Liam defended.

Grace only giggled before she teased, "You're lucky I didn't have a slate."

Liam couldn't help but roll his eyes before he told her, "And thanks to three and a half hours of my life I'll never get back, I watched Anne of Green Gables because it's one of your favorite movies."

"You know it wasn't as bad as you thought – you're just too stubborn to admit you actually sort of liked it," Grace pointed out.

Liam crossed his arms and huffed in response, unaware that he just proved her point. Grace shook her head before she kissed the side of his head.

Killian then popped his head in the dining room and spoke, "I have your brownies, Grace, whenever you're ready to leave."

She nodded before she announced, "I probably should be getting home. I still have a bit of packing to do," before rising from the table, with Liam following her movements.

When they had walked the short distance to the kitchen, Emma then asked, "When are you leaving for New York?"

"Next Saturday. Mom and Dad are coming as well so they can help me unpack. They also want to see the school again," Grace explained.

"Well, both of my siblings attended NYU, and they loved it. I'm sure you will, too, love," Killian told her.

"Oh, I already do," Grace told him, a smile on her face. She then grabbed the brownies and continued, "I wanted to thank you both for having me over for dinner. It really was amazing."

"Of course, kid. You know you're always welcome here," Emma told her. Killian then added, "Aye, Grace. We love having you."

The 18-year-old girl smiled brightly before bidding her goodbyes. She then made her way out, with Liam walking her to her car.

She dug her keys from her pocket before she faced Liam and spoke, "Are you alright? You just got quiet when your parents were asking about New York."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just…gonna miss you," Liam assured her.

Grace looked at him curiously for a moment. She knew it was the truth, it just wasn't the whole truth. But, she figured he was just distracted by the fact that he would officially be a senior in a few more weeks.

So, she told him, "I'll miss you, too, Liam." He offered her a small smile in response.

He then pulled her in for a sweet kiss, one that she happily returned. When they pulled away, he spoke, "I think you should probably get home. Your dad is almost as overprotective as mine is."

Grace couldn't help but giggle before she agreed, "You are definitely right about that one."

Liam chuckled as well before they bid goodbye. He watched her as she got in her Camry and drove away before heading back inside.

He joined his parents in the living room and sat on the couch. Emma then told him, "Your dad and I both have to work tomorrow. Since you won't get up until almost lunch, and you'll still be half-asleep, I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to cook. The chicken pot pie and macaroni will be good heated up."

Liam simply nodded before his father added, "I'm sure Grace wants to spend some time with her parents, but it's alright with us if she wants to come over here for a bit."

The teenager only shrugged before he spoke, "I think I'll just hang out here. Watch some Netflix or something."

"Are you sure, kid? I thought you'd want to spend as much time with her as possible," Emma pointed out.

"It's only Friday – we still have a week," Liam told her. He then rose from the couch and continued, "I'm gonna go start my book."

Before his parents had a chance to say anything, he was walking away.

Emma stared after her son before she turned to Killian and worriedly observed, "I think something is bothering him."

"Well, Swan, his girlfriend is moving seven hours away so she can go to college. It can't be easy for the lad," Killian surmised.

"Of course it's not easy, but I thought he was dealing with it. He hasn't even said anything," Emma told him.

Killian kissed his wife's forehead before he assured, "Love, I'm sure it's just because it's now sinking in. I'm sure he's fine."

Emma sighed before she nodded in response. She then told him, "I suppose you're right. I'm sure he'll talk to us if he needs to."

"Aye, love," Killian agreed. He kissed her forehead once more before he smiled and told her, "What do you say, love? Why don't we watch some NCIS?"

"Sounds great," she responded with a smile. She then snuggled into his side as Killian grabbed the remote and switched their smart TV over to Netflix.

A few hours had passed, and Liam had only read three pages. As interesting as the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was, he simply couldn't concentrate.

He then forcefully threw his book on the floor before he breathed a sigh of relief that his floor was carpet.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his black hair before he just decided to go to sleep. Maybe it would help calm his racing thoughts.

When he got up to turn off the light, his blue-green eyes wandered to the photo on his nightstand.

He had several pictures of he and Grace, but this one was his favorite.

They had been dating for a couple months, and they had decided to have a picnic on the beach. That weekend, they grabbed their favorites from Granny's before they set off on their date.

As soon as Liam had laid down the blanket, and Grace had sat down with their food, an unexpected rainstorm hit. Luckily, they saved the food, but they couldn't save themselves from getting soaked before they managed to get in the truck. Liam immediately grabbed his jacket from the backseat for his girlfriend.

Grace then removed her then brown hair that had been plastered to her forehead and over her face. She then complained about her now ruined makeup, hair, and sundress with clear agitation in her voice. She looked over at boyfriend for sympathy but he scratched behind his ear and told her that he didn't think it was quite as bad as she was making it out to be.

She grew frustrated and asked what was the matter with him. She looked terrible, their date was ruined, and they were both shivering. Couldn't he see how upset she was?

Liam then took her hand in his and told her that he could understand why she was upset, and he truthfully wasn't trying to make it worse.

Grace could see that he was sincere and that he had more to say. So, she squeezed his hand and nodded.

Liam then took a deep breath and told her that he's known her since he was six years old, and he's positive that she was his first and only crush. And now, she was his girlfriend, and he couldn't be happier. A downpour wasn't going to change any of that – or how absolutely beautiful she was.

A bright smile erupted across Grace's face before she pulled him in for a sweet kiss. Though it wasn't their first kiss, this one held all the promises of the young couple's growing feelings.

When they pulled away, Grace wanted to take a picture to remember the moment. Liam agreed, and he took the picture with his phone.

The photo taken that night, with silly grins, a bright blush, and damp clothes was one of the moments that Liam cherished the most.

He then took a deep breath before he got up and walked over to the light switch. He flipped it off before going and climbing back in bed.

As he tried to fall asleep, all he could think about was Grace. The way her laugh was contagious, the way her smile lit up a room, the way he could stare into those brown eyes for hours, the way she put her whole heart into everything she did, the way she was always quoting Marvel and DC movies, and the way she sang off-key to Daughtry and David Cook.

They spent nearly every day together – how in the bloody hell was he supposed to get by with only seeing her during holidays?

Even though Grace leaving wasn't news to him, it was here. While he would never dream of asking her to stay, watching her leave was something he didn't think he could bear.

Hey, y'all! I hope you guys enjoyed the beginning of this story and are looking forward to what comes next! Though the ending is pretty well worked out, I'm struggling with the middle, so the next update for The Night Before (Life Goes On) may take a little bit.

P.S. I did get the title from the Carrie Underwood song, and you guys will have to wait and see how my story ends :)