¹𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐋ﾠ⎊ﾠtony starkﾠ﹙🇬🇧﹚

⠀𝟬𝟬. ❛ THE LAST GOODBYE ❜

000. ╱ 🔩⠀⠀ ❝ the last goodbye. ❞

CHARLOTTE BELIEVED THAT ONE WAS EITHER A GOOD MOTHER, OR JUST NOT.

⠀⠀She wasn't the kind of person who intensified her attention in greyscales, or who saw beyond every situation in life. She wasn't that deep, she was quite focused, actually. So, when she held little Andrea in her arms for the first time, she told herself once again that greyscale was not an option for her parenting method, she had to be a good mother, and if she wasn't a good mother, then she would be bad, and that little baby with big green eyes didn't deserve any kind of suffering afterwards.

⠀⠀Luckily for Charlie, in this whole process of transformation from star MIT student to first-time mother without a shred of experience, Andrew Quill held her hand tightly, never needing to let go. Being a cheesy father from the moment he almost choked back tears when he met his little girl, and an excellent boyfriend who tried day in and day out to make Charlotte happy, who used to complicate it a little, unintentionally.

⠀⠀But she couldn't be more grateful to the universe for having Andrew with her, and she wasn't a woman who ever thanked the universe, for multiple reasons. She couldn't survive on her own with baby Andy, and Acacia wasn't the best example of an aunt. She didn't blame her, they had no other family and she was just a teenager, quite immature and rebellious, really.

⠀⠀Waking up in the morning was routinely annoying for Charlotte. Her alarm would go off after hours of interrupted sleep that she shared and empathised with Andrew, who rose almost jumping out of bed to tend to little Andy whenever she required it. It was a relief for the woman to know she had a man who loved the dull life of suburbia, and she dreaded sharing it with him, until her baby was born.

⠀⠀From the moment she found out she was pregnant, she had every kind of terror she could possibly have, even to a higher level than when she was about to live on the streets with Acacia. Once again, her boyfriend and best friend calmed her down, always telling her that everything was going to be fine. How could he not? He always smiled, kissed Charlotte on the forehead and said he would take care of everything. That sometimes frustrated the woman, but she couldn't deny that whenever he said that phrase, he kept his promise.

⠀⠀"Wake up, Charlie!" He shook her on the bed, eliciting a snort from her. He rushed over to open the window. "Look at that! It's a beautiful day, it's sunny."

⠀⠀"Quill, it's Malibu, it's sunny every day," she chuckled.

⠀⠀"Yes, but it's just another day," he said, in a relaxed tone.

⠀⠀That was another aspect of Andrew Quill's personality. He was happy and grateful for life. After all he had been through, he knew he was lucky to be alive and to have found his other half at such a young age, and to be raising a little girl with her.

⠀⠀And that's basically what every morning in the Quill-Heller family was like. He was enthusiastic, she was desperate. They found it rather curious, as they were completely different, but at the same time, they thought they were soulmates.

⠀⠀Andrew's cheerfulness diminished more and more, day by day, when Charlotte was sure it was the other way around. Occasionally it bothered her how very charming he was, as she was zero charismatic, and she had a certain amount of jealousy about it, but, although he was still an excellent and loving father, he had stopped making heart-shaped pancakes and drawings on the coffee cups he bought Charlotte. All in all, she didn't mind this aspect, but of course she found it odd.

⠀⠀It wasn't until the morning of the twenty-first of March that Charlotte didn't see her partner next to her when she woke up. When she saw him, he was approaching her with a tray bearing a delicious breakfast of his own, with heart-shaped pancakes, her favourite juice and fruit, as well as a glass of coffee he bought three streets away with And's own drawings on it. She was reassured that he was happy again.

⠀⠀Just that Saturday, with the blonde still in bed, Andrew came into the room, looking rather nostalgic, with a very tiny smile that she could barely see behind his lips. She looked at him curiously.

⠀⠀"Did you like it?" He asked.

⠀⠀"You know I do," she replied. He finally smiled, as if it was the best thing she had ever said to him. "Hey, are you alright?"

⠀⠀"Excellent," he said shortly. "Charlie, you're a great mother, or at least you will be one day, I know it," she laughed. "Andy is the best thing that ever happened to me, you guys are the best."

⠀⠀Charlotte frowned. He was romantic, and maybe he was like this because he had to go away on an investigation, but it still seemed odd to her.

⠀⠀"Well... What's going on? I know you're corny, but I think you're getting at something," she frowned, then her eyes widen. "I hope it's not a ring, Quill, you know that..."

⠀⠀"No, no," the blond laughed, "no ring until Stark Industries," he completed what she said. "I know. I just wanted to remind you of who you are, and never forget who you are. That's how I fell in love with you."

⠀⠀"All right: I'll never forget what I am and what you love me for," she recapitulated, getting a new smile from him, for not taking anything corny seriously. "I'll keep that in mind, always."

⠀⠀"Always?" He asked, looking into her eyes.

⠀⠀"Always," she confirmed, giving him a warm handshake.

⠀⠀"I love you, Charlie," he reminded her, then sighed.

⠀⠀She smiled, for although he knew perfectly well that she would not answer the same thing (but she felt it even twice as much as he did), she had the perfect answer.

⠀⠀"I know," she looked serious, quite serious. "Princess Leia."

⠀⠀And Andrew smiled, one last time at her.