You said it in a simple way
4:00 a.m. the second day
How strange that I don't know you at all
Stumbled through the long goodbye
One last kiss, then catch your flight
Right when I was just about to fall

I told myself, don't get attached
But in my mind, I play it back
Spinning faster than the plane that took you

Sylvie Brett knew the dynamic of her relationship changed the first time Matt Casey got on the plane out to Oregon. She understood the why of the situation and fully supported his decision to help raise the Darden boys. But that didn't stop her mind from internally screaming "THIS ISN'T FAIR." They were just getting started and hadn't even begun to experience everything they should be doing as a couple. She was determined to make the long distance work, but every day she found it getting more difficult. The time zones, the shift differential, the lack of contact, it was all becoming too much. She could feel herself pulling away from friends, pulling away from family, resorting to just going through the motions.

Deciding to take furlough time to go visit Matt was a split-second decision. One second she is on the back of the rig, completing inventory, trying to act like everything is okay, and the next she finds herself knocking on Boden's door making the request. She finishes the shift, explains to Violet that she will be gone for awhile and heads home to pack for the next few weeks. She knows Matt is on duty right now, so she opts for leaving him a cute text message, full of heart eye emojis, letting him know of a pending surprise. It's not a permanent fix, but knowing she will see him soon gives her peace. She falls asleep that night easier than the past few weeks, dreaming of seeing Matt Casey.

And this is when the feeling sinks in
I don't wanna miss you like this
Come back, be here
Come back, be here

She has to leave him again for Stella and Severide's wedding. She tells the house he needed to find someone to cover his shifts, and would be following soon but she knows the truth. They wouldn't be making it out of this long distance relationship unscathed. Truthfully, it barely even made it off the ground. They're standing in 51 later that day, the look passing between them, keeping the breakup under wraps, not wanting to overshadow the otherwise joyous reunion. It's in that moment that it hits her. She misses him. He is 8 feet across the room, and she misses him. She can't reach out to him for comfort, loop her arm through his as they walk out of the house. He won't be opening her car door, or faking his way through a Property Brothers marathon with her. It's over, and she feels so empty.

They dance at the wedding, the words pass. She has a life in Chicago, he has made a life in Oregon. She knows she can't ask him to reconsider, he has an obligation to those boys. And it just hits home again, that Matt Casey is the best man she has ever met. He's a once in a lifetime love, and as luck would have it, something she can't keep.

The delicate beginning rush
The feeling you can know so much
Without knowing anything at all
And now that I can put this down
If I had known what I'd known now
I never would've played so nonchalant

Weeks later, she sits at Molly's, sipping on a bottle of Matt's favorite beer. They don't talk much anymore, a few text messages every few days. A clean break seemed best, but contrary to the clean break of their relationship, her heart was left shattered in millions of pieces. Everything around her reminded her of Matt and the time they spent together. Looking around Molly's she thinks of all the time they spent here together before giving dating a chance. The night she called him out on his "Solemn Matt Casey Look" or when she snuck up on him and told him they should be dating, other people of course. The time after her run in with Halleck, listening to Gallo replay how Matt leapt from the moving truck to get down to her. She had been so stupid. There had been so many moments that she purposely avoided facing her feelings for him. And looking back now, she wishes she hadn't run from him. She should have put herself out there and given them more time to be together.

She drains the bottle, grabs a few dollars from her wallet to cover the bill, places them on the bar, and heads out without another word. She can't sit here anymore, surrounded by her memories, wallowing in what could have been.

This is falling in love in the cruelest way
This is falling for you and you are worlds away

In New York, be here
But you're in London, and I break down
'Cause it's not fair that you're not around

Sylvie is back at her apartment, feeling empty and alone, but worst of all confused. Why had she given up on them so easily? They spent 3 years dancing around each other, why couldn't they spend 3 more together, even if they only had short visits to make it work? Logically she knows people make it work all the time, so why can't they. She looks at the clock on the wall, it's not even 10 yet in Oregon, she could call him, make sure he knows she loves him, make sure she knows she isn't ready for them not to be a them.

Before she can lose her nerve, she's on Matt's contact card, finger hovering over the dial button. She needs to talk to him. She taps once, listens to the phone ring, listens to the voicemail pick up, listens to her Matt asking her to leave a message. It feels like a shot to the heart. She tries to make her voice sound normal, doesn't want him to hear the tears or choked back sobs. She lets him know she had been at Molly's earlier, had been thinking. Asks him to call her back, they need to talk. Sylvie disconnects, puts the phone down on the coffee table, and falls asleep on the couch that night, memories of them flashing through her mind.

And this is when the feeling sinks in
I don't wanna miss you like this
Come back, be here
Come back, be here

Matt didn't call her back that night. She checked her phone as soon as she woke up, only to be met with a bone crushing disappointment. She couldn't keep this up, couldn't live like this. Her eyes show no sadness now, only determination. She has to make a few calls, find someone to cover her shifts, and once that is settled, she is on American Airlines, booking the first flight to Portland. She packs quickly, throws a few necessities into the bag, anything else will be figured out later.

6 hours later, she has touched down in Portland. On autopilot she is grabbing her duffel bag, ordering an Uber, and showing up at the Darden residence. She can see the kitchen light on, both cars parked in front. She takes the leap, presses the doorbell.

She can hear footsteps inside, can tell by the cadence and weight, it's Matt coming to the door. Her right hand is grasping onto her duffel bag, her left, sweaty and trying to find anything to grasp onto. It's like watching in slow motion, she can see the doorknob turning, the light from inside shining out onto the front porch, the look of surprise on Matt's face as he fully realizes who is at his doorstep.

Sylvie takes a step forward, closing the space. She spent all 4 hours of the flight, plus 2 hours travel time, thinking of what she would say.

"We belong together."

Matt's look of surprise, starts to fade, he realizes what she just said. And he is game to play along.

"We do." Matt answers, definitively.

"We're right for each other." Sylvie takes another step closer, dropping the duffel bag to the ground.

"We are." Matt smiles.

"When you know, you know." She's waiting on him now. Growing impatient, just wanting to feel him.

"You do." Matt starts to close the distance, same way he did all those months ago.

"I'm in love with you" His lips are on hers before she can even get the words all the way out.

Later that night they are curled up on the couch, both boys having gone to bed already. She knows they have an uphill battle, trying to make the distance work. But she has spent the past few weeks without Matt Casey, and she knows now, that she can't do it anymore. Long distance is hard, but not having Matt in her life is harder.

Matt breaks the comfortable silence between them, places a soft kiss to her temple, "I love you and I love that you came out here for me. But…what made you change your mind?"

Sylvie turns her body, facing him head on. "I didn't want to miss you anymore."

And for now, just the two of them, everything is perfect.