Hayes Grier fanfic: After All

Chapter 68 (final chapter)

**a few days later**

Althea's POV:

The days were up. And this was it. Today was the day I was leaving to go back home to attend college and Hayes would be leaving for his 2 year tour with Nash and the guys.
I got up at 6 am. My flight left at 8. But I didn't get much sleep last night. I knew today would be an emotional day filled with goodbyes and tears of sorrow. I dragged myself out of the bed I would never be waking up in again and went to the bathroom that I wouldn't be in every morning anymore. I did my usual routine to pretend today was just a normal day. I got into some leggings and pulled on a pullover sweatshirt and put my hair into a ponytail. I had already packed mine and kacey's things last night. So I was mostly good for the day. Baby kacey was awake so I did what I usually did every morning once she was born. Change her diaper and get her ready for the day.

I never thought I would be changing diapers at the age of 19.

But I don't regret anything. And baby kacey was just another blessing brought into my life.

I carried my things down one by one. After that I rushed back upstairs to get baby kacey and walked back down the stairs already panting of exhaustion.

That was too much work for me.

I went into the kitchen and everything just felt so gloomy to think or even to look at. "Morning" I said and everyone looked at me. Andrea opened her mouth like she was about to say something but she then closed it and burst into tears. Everyone followed with more and more crying. Everything was just hard to let go of knowing this was my last day with them.

The rest of the morning was filled with laughter and tears. Sometimes we would be laughing at a joke and then the next minute we would be crying at the same thoughts. The time went by so quickly that eventually...it was time for Hayes and I to leave.

*
The ride to the airport was quiet because none of us really didn't know what to say up until we got to the airport. We met up with Nash there and the guys seemed to wander off Into their little conversations. I sat with the girls for a while. I mostly stared at the floor. Not wanting them to see me with my puffy bloodshot eyes and everything else. I was the opposite of Attractive at that moment. Sometimes I used baby kacey for my excuse to why I was quiet most of the time. Sometimes I said I was up all night taking care of baby kacey.

Lies. She had slept better than I have. My thoughts ate me all night long.

"Flight 306 back to WINNIPEG" the speakers went off. And that was my cue of goodbye. I held baby kacey on my hip and my carry on in my free hand. The girls I drifted off into the group Nash, Hayes and the rest of the guys were in. Like raffy, chandler, and Jeff. We stood there for a moment all staring and exchanging looks at one another.
"So this is goodbye" Nash said breaking the silence. And at that moment I handed baby kacey in Andrea's arms and threw myself into hayes's arms bawling into his shoulder. He rubbed my back and gently for a few minutes. Once I calmed down I wiped away some of the dry tears on my cheeks with my thumb and made my way to each person saying a personal goodbye.

"You better mention me when you win an Oscar" I said to raffy.
"Let me know when I attend your first olympic volleyball game" I said to Mae.
"When you and Jeff get married I better be a bridesmaid." I said to Maria.
"Cut your hair" I said to chandler
"If you hurt Maria I will slit your throat" I said to Jeff
"When baby kacey has her first birthday, I know who to call for a cake" I said to Andrea
"Hey same to you, When Shawn proposes to you, I expect to be a bridesmaid" I said to Jen.

I know most of them sounded rude but trust me I didn't mean it. They all gave me laughs with several tears and goodbye hugs. They knew how sarcastic I could be and I was thankful I had friends who could actually put up with me.

I walked over to Nash, "I feel like one day you'll be president" I sarcastically said as I hugged Nash goodbye. He chuckled. "Same to you sis." He joked. I laughed once more. "Tell cam and them I said hi okay?"
"Got it" and he saluted to me.

And then it was time for the final goodbye to

Hayes.

I stood in front of him and didn't know what else to do except throw myself at him again. It made me cry even more to the thought of how all of this started of a silly camping trip. And here we were saying a goodbye for 2 years because we both had dreams in life. "I want to say something grier" I said
"Oh really? And what's that?"
"Thank you."
"Thank you?"
"Thank you for falling in love with me. Everyday I still remember seeing you as mister popular and mister vine famous. Knowing hundreds of girls loved you. I remember everyday wondering if you noticed me or Not. I'm thankful everyday that you chose to love me out of the other billions of girls out there. Just...thank you." I cried into his shoulder as he comforted to me. Hayes held me tight. "And I wanna say something to you too." Hayes said.
"I have to admit, when I first saw you. I wasn't really into you." I laughed as well as everybody else as I punched his arm playfully. Removing my face from his soaked up shoulder that was drenched in my tears. Hayes laughed. "I'm kidding. But really, at first I was a guy who loved girls from what they looked like or their popularity scale but when I met you. I realized how beautiful someone can be inside and out. Thank you for putting up with me in ways no one else can, thank you for staying with me when I was a compete dick at times. Just thank you for being you...I love seeing the glint in your eyes when you read or write, I like seeing the way you flinch whenever I even touch your body or even whisper in your ears. I just love you...and nothing will ever change that. Make me proud when you go to college okay?" By now I was crying of hayes's words. I realized I had to finally say goodbye because my plane was taking off soon. Hayes gave me one last soft kiss from his plump lips before he said goodbye to me again and baby kacey.
"Baby girl, I promise I'll see you again" he said to her as he gently pinched her soft cheeks.

I said goodbye to everyone once again as tears streamed down my face. I managed to get onto my plane without having an emotional outtake.

*

Baby kacey was sound asleep on the plane and I was wide awake. Well...my mind was awake but my body was asleep. The whole plane ride I thought about the writing piece I entered in the contest so I would win that scholarship. The words seemed to bounce around in my head like I memorized every single word as I spoke them in my head...

Why is everybody so excited to grow up?
What is there to look forward to?
You grow up, get married, have kids, give them the amazing life that your parents gave you,

And then you die.

That's it.

Wheres your happily ever after?
People always say "keep calm and have a good life"

How do you have a good life?
You spend years living led day by day, knowing everything will be okay
But what you don't think about is one day you're going to die.

You're going to lose everything.
You're going to lose everyone.
You're going to be in the ground with complete darkness without a living soul.

You won't breathe.
You won't feel.
You won't think.

Wonderful right?

Nope.

Exactly.

So why rush through life?

Live every moment but really stop and think.
Take your time.
Don't rush things.
Because one day you're going to look back and will want to have a second chance all over again. So instead of wanting a second chance,
Look back and be glad it happened.

That's what life is all about right?

Taking chances, and keep fighting to win the game.

Until the clock stops ticking.

After all, you don't always get a second chance to do something.

But maybe,

Just maybe.

You get the second chance to love someone all over again.