Morning arrived softly.
Rose walked down the stairs to the familiar sounds of her home—the clinking of utensils, the low hum of the exhaust fan, the scent of breakfast filling the air. Her mother stood in the kitchen, focused, calm, just like always.
Rose joined her without a word, reaching for a plate.
Her mother glanced at her gently. "Are you okay?"
Rose nodded. "Yes. Quite good."
It wasn't a lie. Not entirely.
Her mother hesitated for a second before asking, carefully, "And… Travis? Everything okay between you two?"
Rose didn't stop moving. She kept placing plates on the counter, her voice steady. "We talked about it. Everything is sort now."
Her mother studied her face for a moment, then simply nodded and said nothing more.
Rose was grateful for that.
She carried the dishes to the dining table, arranging them neatly, grateful for the distraction. Silence followed—but this time, it felt softer.
After breakfast, Steve leaned back in his chair with a grin. "Alright," he announced, "Let's go shopping . She's leaving this evening—we can't send her without essentials."
Their parents agreed instantly.
They spent the afternoon together, moving from shop to shop—clothes, stationery, small necessities she didn't even realize she needed. Steve kept cracking jokes, making everything lighter than it should have been. Her parents laughed easily, enjoying every moment like they were collecting memories.
For a while, Rose forgot the ache.
By evening, her luggage was neatly arranged. Everything she owned for the next phase of her life sat quietly inside two suitcases.
Her parents insisted on coming to the airport. Rose tried to protest, but eventually gave in. Steve put her luggage while cracking jokes.
Rose smiled—really smiled this time. Seeing them happy made something inside her ease, even if just a little.
Still, as they drove toward the airport, her eyes searched the streets unconsciously.
Somewhere deep inside, she wished—just once—to see him.
But she already knew.
Some things aren't meant to happen.
At the airport, final hugs were exchanged. Steve hugged her tightly. "Call me," he said. "Anytime. For anything. Even if you're bored."
She rolled her eyes. "Don't behave like Mom."
Their parents laughed. Steve kept talking, nagging her in that familiar, comforting way. Her parents held her hands longer than usual.
When she finally boarded the plane and took her seat between them, Rose looked out the window.
Her hometown stretched beneath her—roads she knew by heart, places filled with memories she wasn't ready to leave behind. Her chest tightened, but she breathed through it.
She wasn't running anymore.
She was choosing to move forward.
Somewhere behind her, love remained unfinished.
Somewhere ahead of her, a new life waited.
And as the plane began to move, Rose Wood whispered quietly to herself—
'This is not the end. This is the beginning.'
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