Hold on and don't you ever grow up, just never grow up

Just stay this little

Hold on and don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up

It could stay this simple

I won't let nobody hurt you

Won't let no one break your heart

And no one will desert you

Just try to never grow up

Aubrey and I sat in the front row, applauding loudly as Clara walked across the stage to receive her diploma. I glanced over and saw a steady stream of tears running from Aubrey's eyes. I took her hand and squeezed it tightly. We cheered for our daughter. She'd made it out of the hole and graduated with honors. She'd been accepted into Barden University on a partial scholarship, and was going to major in psychology. She was leaving later that same day.

After the ceremony, we drove Clara to the airport. Just before we left, I wrapped Clara in a tight hug and didn't let go. "We're so proud of you, babygirl," I whispered, stroking her brown hair. "So, so proud."

Maya hugged her sister as well. "Good luck at college, farthead," she said. "I get to have your room now."

Clara laughed through her tears and pulled Maya close. "Come here, stinkface." She lifted the ten-year-old high in the air and held her tightly to her chest. "I'm gonna miss you." She set Maya down and turned to Aubrey.

Aubrey took both of Clara's hands. She could barely be heard over her sobs. "Come back home soon." Clara nodded and sniffed. "Don't get in trouble. Don't let anyone hurt you. Call when you get there." She paused, wiping her eyes. "I love you, babygirl. Don't you ever forget that."

Clara pulled her into a tight hug, both of them breaking down in hysterics. The two of them stood for a minute, wrapped in each other's arms, neither wanting to let go. I then realized how hard this was for Aubrey. I was used to saying goodbye; I'd done it all my life. Aubrey had never had to say goodbye to anyone she truly loved aside from her graduation from Barden. I rested my hands on Maya's shoulders as I watched my wife and oldest daughter.

Soon, Aubrey broke away. "You'd better get going. You don't want to miss your flight." Clara sniffed loudly and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Don't ever forget who you are or where you came from."

Clara nodded. "I won't." She grabbed her suitcase. "Bye, Mom," she said to both of us. "Bye, Maya."

Maya gave a little wave. Clara turned and boarded the plane. She didn't look back.

Aubrey collapsed in my arms. "What if she doesn't come back?" she sobbed.

I rubbed my wife's back soothingly. "She'll always come back," I promised. "She's all grown up now. She can take care of herself. Come on, let's go home." I took her hand and gently led her out of the airport. No one said anything until we got home. There was a new voicemail. It was from Clara.

"Hi, everyone, I just got on the plane, and I have to turn my phone off in a few minutes. I just wanted to say that I love you all so much. I'm gonna miss you tons. I'll be back for Thanksgiving and Christmas and I'll bring presents. I'll call you when I get to my apartment. Bye, guys."

The message cut off. "Bye, babygirl," I heard Aubrey whisper.

Clara brought a boyfriend when she came home for Christmas. He was a nice boy, a year older than her, named Stephen. He was also a psychology major; the two had met in one of their classes. It was obvious that they loved each other very much.

We were eating dinner, and Clara was telling us about Barden. "I joined the Bellas," she said enthusiastically. "It's so fun. I can see why you guys loved it so much."

I smiled at Chloe. "The Bella legacy continues," I giggled. I turned to Stephen. "Stephen, are you in any sports teams or activities?"

He shrugged. "I do a little bit with film production but it's really more of a way to pass the time. I guess the thing I'm most passionate about is what I'm doing in class."

Chloe frowned. "So you're not in anything outside of class?"

He thought a bit. "I'm pretty busy with school already, and I work at Best Buy and Papa John's to pay off my student loans. What little free time I have is spent with Clara." He glanced lovingly at Clara and gently kissed her cheek.

I smiled. "That's lovely." I gestured to his plate. "Would you like some more potatoes?"

He nodded. "If there's any left." I scraped some onto his plate. "Thank you."

I liked Stephen; he was nice, polite, and he obviously shared a close bond with Clara. I could tell they made each other quite happy. But sadly, the two broke up a few months later, and Clara quickly moved on. She dated around for a few years before graduating from Barden and taking a year off to travel before starting on her masters. The years went by in a blur. Maya grew older and older, soon graduating high school and moving to L.A. to study acting at UCLA. Clara was in a serious relationship with a man she said she was in love with. It was all I could do not to cry on our thirtieth anniversary. It was then that I realized just how long it had been since Chloe and I first met. We'd been together thirty years, and it still felt like we'd only just met. I still loved her just as much as I had in college. She was my one and only love.

Clara's wedding was beautiful. It was a small wedding, with no one but the two families and close friends. She wouldn't even let Maya bring her boyfriend. Yes, Maya was sixteen and had a serious boyfriend by now. I still saw the same little girl who had to make sure all her dolls were in bed before she could sleep and who would always correct me when I said "koala bears." Aubrey cried harder than anyone. "Our babygirl is all grown up," she sniffled.

I gripped her hand. "She's still our babygirl," I assured her. Phillip was a lovely man. He was sophisticated, polite, and the two of them were very in love. They'd been dating for three years before he proposed. I knew he made my daughter very happy. I also knew they'd been lying to us. They announced the pregnancy two months later, but Clara already had a noticeable baby bump. She was at least five months along. I didn't care that they'd been doing it before, obviously, but it hurt to know that they didn't think they could tell us.

Clara had a healthy baby boy three months later. She was embarrassed to find out that I'd known all along about the premarital, but she quickly forgot it when she got to hold her son.

"What are you naming him?" Aubrey asked.

Clara let a tear fall. "Julian," she whispered, choosing the name we'd picked for our stillborn son. Aubrey curled tightly into my arms and squeezed my hands. She never really recovered from the loss of our baby the way I had. He was always there, always in her mind. We all got to hold baby Julian, and when Aubrey held him, I could see a part of her becoming whole again. She saw her grandson as the son she never got to have. That's when it hit me – I was a grandmother. Aubrey and I were growing old together, just as I'd always dreamed we would. Our girls were growing up, our fiftieth birthdays had passed, and we were both nearing retirement. I shook my head. Time sure went by quickly.

The years began to run together. Phillip and Clara had two more sons, Noah and James, and Maya married a man named Terrence. They had just one daughter, Sadie. Chloe and I were nearing our 65th birthdays. That meant retirement, social security, moving to a more casual environment. We started cutting down on our spending and putting more money into our savings. A few months after we retired, we were at a doctor's appointment when we received devastating news.

The doctor sighed. "Aubrey, you are perfectly healthy. Keep up the good work, but start thinking about cutting down on sweets as you get older." Then she turned to Chloe. "Chloe… I'm so sorry to tell you this." I gripped Chloe's hand so tightly both of our knuckles were white. "You have a serious form of brain cancer and budding Alzheimer's."

Chloe gasped, and I burst into tears. "How long do I have?" she whispered.

The doctor checked her charts. "It doesn't look immediately terminal, but it could get worse over time."

I choked on my sobs, holding my wife close. "I can't lose you," I whispered.

Chloe melted into my arms, collapsing in fear and grief. She didn't say anything. We drove home in silence, not speaking for the rest of the night. I could tell that Chloe needed space to deal with the news, so I left her alone. As I turned off the light, I could feel her body shaking with silent sobs. It broke my heart to see her like this; to know that each day might be her last. I wasn't ready to lose her yet.