Where Did The Time Go?

"Why do you have to go now? Right when I want you to stay the most." His hand slips from mine with uncertainty.
"I don't want to go as much as you want me to stay," he answers with droopy eyes. "But you know I need to go." My heart rips and falls to my feet. I push myself into his chest. I wrap my arms around his warm torso and hope to God that it never ends. He slowly brings his arms around me and then pulls me back to look him in the eye. "Emily, you know I love you. I want to stay and be here with you more than anything anyone has ever wanted. But I have to do this. So many people are depending on me to fix everything and it's my mess to fix." I withdraw my arms and stand up as straight as possible with a solemn look on my face.
"I love you, too, Nick. And I respect that you need to go. I just wish it hadn't ended so quick." So it turns out I'm not as strong as I thought, I think to myself as tears stream down my crushed face.
Nick's face forms quickly from serious to sympathetic as he pulls me into him once more. "Em...Em...Don't cry. It's okay, baby. I'm here. I haven't left yet." We stand there for two minutes and he finally starts to pull back as my sniffling pauses. I stop him from ending my last moment with him and whisper as softly as possible.
"Don't let go just yet."
He squeezes me tightly and responds, his voice smooth and serene. "I won't."