And We Will Fly

Chapter 19

Time trailed by quickly as July came around, Lauren stayed on top of her drawing game, making sure to pinpoint every important day in their relationship and drawing it. The figures now had matching promise rings. Ally's 19th birthday is just around the corner and the 4 others are planning a party now. Ally is not aware of this, for she thinks the parties stop at 18/after high school. Little does she know that her girlfriend has much more in mind.

Normani received a letter in the mail the other day accepting her into Duke as well. Camila, Kalin, and Normani will be taking their first drive out there when the semester starts up in the Fall- mid August to be exact. Lauren and Ally are packing away their things as well, San Antonio is no short distance away, but neither is Decatur, Georgia, where Dinah will reside. Chris and Taylor are going to be a Junior and a Sophomore in high school. Sofi and LaLa are starting the 1st grade together. Brandon has one year left of college and then he's off into the world to be an engineer.

Time really does fly quickly, and we'd like to believe that time flies when you're having fun. We can credit the people around us for making time flow so swiftly. Without them, the world would seem to move slowly and time would seem to stand still. Relationships grow stronger, bonds grow longer, and all at the same time....life goes on, and eventually, after all time for one has run out, life ends.

*Lauren's POV*
I was rushed out of the mall to an unusual phone call from my mother. "Lauren come home now" was all I could make of her sobs. What could possibly be wrong? All is good in the world. Or so I thought... I pulled up onto the curb across my from house; there were too many cars surrounding. My family must be getting together... So why was she crying..? I jogged across the street and ran inside. "Mom? Dad?" I said frantically, searching the room. I ran to the kitchen where everyone had been seated in. I looked around at the sad faces and my heart instantly dropped... I had a feeling I knew what was happening.

"W...what is it..?" I said, my voice now pleading to crack and break down. I could tell by the fact that neither my grandmother nor grandfather were here was not good news for them... "It's your grandmother," my dad started, wiping his eyes in hopes to not make me cry. "You mean she.." I stopped speaking once he nodded his head, my mom throwing another sob into his shoulder. I shook my head as I eased myself to sit in the floor, knees tucked into my chest. My cries became known and soon they were more loud. There was nobody else in this world that I'd rather have here on earth with me than her. She taught me so much about life that nobody else could have ever said the same way. She had a way with words, and I guess that's where I get it from.

As time passed, people were excusing themselves to their cars, leaving to go see her. When we were the only 5 left in the house, my mom had come to my side in attempts to calm my still very loud and violent sobs. "Lauren, we're going to see her, do you feel like going? It's fine if not, she'll be there until Friday when the funeral arrangements will start to fall in place." I shook my head and she sighed, understanding I needed to be alone. She kissed the top of my head before getting up and following my family out the door. Once she left, I stood up and went to the living room, throwing myself on the couch.

My grandma has always been my number one supporter. No matter what I told her, she was an "all systems go" kind of person. She even came to love Ally as her own the more I brought her around. I promised her she could be the maid of honor at my wedding too. I knew it was probably not going to be a reality though, the way her body was starting to break down and her constant trips to the hospital said it all. I guess I knew the day I'd have to say goodbye was coming, I just didn't want to accept it.

--
I finally brought myself to trudge back to my room and throw myself into bed. I wanted to drown out the world at this point. All sense of happiness that has been in my veins was coming close to nothing at this point. I needed to sleep, for now and forever. Until the day I can be brought back to terms with my grandmother by my side, until the day I can wake up from this hectic dream and know that time isn't really moving this fast. I'll be off to college in a month or so and I'm still wondering if that is even real. My life is changing so quickly and it's going by too quick for me to slow down.