A/N: Now, before we read this...let me just say, this is how I planned it, and I am happy with it.

Epilogue:

Matt

Three days passed by so fast. Before I knew it, I was standing outside, watching the love of my life throw his shit in the back of Aidan's beat-up used Chevy, bought just two days ago. Luke, Henry and I having already loaded up the U-Haul hooked behind it earlier.

I smiled faintly as Aidan went through the ranks, hugging Henry and Elaine with tears in their eyes. Then to the sleepy four year old in Elaine's arms and the quite unhappy six year old standing beside me.

I wrapped my arms around her tightly, for some insane reason, I felt like this was the last time I'd ever see her again. "Take care of him." I whispered in her ear.

I heard her sniff and tighten her grip on me "Thank you for letting me have him." She gripped me even harder before letting me go and stepping back for Luke. Her golden eyes were filled with tears.

Luke did the same thing she did, taking longer with everyone. He told them how he loved them, how he'd call. And, when he got to me, a look I'd never seen before entered his eyes. He kissed my cheek on his tip-toes and sent me a heart breaking smile. "Good-bye Matt."

I felt my lips spread into the smile you get just before you start crying. "Good-bye Luke."

I watched the love of my life enter the car and drive off with a wave.

Luke

I curled into a ball in the passenger seat and watched the houses speed by, biting my lip to stop myself from screaming until Aidan stopped the car and to run back to my home, jumping the arms of the man I love and just live out my days there. But, I bite my lip harder and closed my eyes, memorizing the feel of Matt against my body that last time.

Note to Self: Just close your eyes, it'll be over soon.

Note to Self: If only that were true.

"Luke…" Aidan tried to cut through the fog, but I think she got the point because she didn't say another word until we were pulling into the parking lot of the apartment we would be sharing in the next school year, nine hours later.

Note to Self: Virginia to Chicago is a long drive.

"Come on Luke, you start getting the bags, I'll go get our keys." Was all she said as we both got out of the car and I grabbed a few small bags out of the bed and started into the building. It was nice, I'd give her that.

Entering the apartment with Aidan, I learned that it was a one bedroom beige thing. It was perfect. It was nothing like home.

"You can drop those in the bedroom if you want." She told me, taking the small box she brought up and using it as a door-stop as I entered the bedroom and dropped the duffel-bags.

I walked over to the window. There was a fire escape running down it, and beyond that were buildings with smoke coming from them and big flashing lights at the tops. Nothing at all like my home town.

Note to Self: This is-

Note to Self: These need to stop. They…are part of a previous life. I need to move on now. Matt's gone, Virginia's gone. It's just me and Aidan and Chicago now.

I smiled sadly and closed my notebook. I'd left them all in mine and Matt's room, the only thing left on the completely bare side of my bedroom with the exception of chocolate stains.

It was really over.

Matthew

I sighed deeply, looking at the night sky. Thirty years, and I could still smell the freshly cut lawn as he was driving away.

Luke didn't meet the guy of his dreams, but he finished his degree with Aidan and they became very prominent artists in New York.

Aidan died in a car accident about fifteen years ago, her Aunt died soon after, I think the sweet old woman finally died of heart break. Henry and Elaine packed up and moved to Florida about ten years ago, they come to us for Thanksgiving now.

I got married during college. Her name is Sarah. Quite a beauty, blonde hair, big blue eyes, our son Jalen looks just like her. She left me twenty-five years ago. Five years into our marriage, she just tells me that she loves me, but I love someone else and she's not going to stand in the way. We're still good friends.

Mark and John got married, not to each other. Mark married a pretty woman named Rhonda and followed Henry into Real Estate, he has three kids. John married Sherry and became an accountant, while Sherry is a very talented graphic designer. They have one daughter.

After Aidan died, Luke dropped out of the art world, and entered the world of writing. He was clinically depressed for about a year before he came back to Virginia for Christmas, the first Christmas since he left for Chicago.

And, when I saw him…my beautiful angel, he was broken. Dirty clothes and hair, half-starved…I fell in love all over again when I saw his eyes. It was like a piece of me that had been missing for fifteen years was suddenly put back into place.

His pale eyes filled with tears and he stepped close enough to wrap his skinny arms around me. "I love you Matt. I never said it, but I never stopped."

Then, in front of Mark and John and their entire family, with Sarah, Jalen and both of our parents watching, I pulled him away and gave him the most passionate kiss I've ever given. And when I pulled away, tears were in both of our eyes. "I love you too Luke, so fucking much."

We've been together ever since. We raised Jalen, watched him get married, and bought a little house with a picket fence. Now we spend our days holding hands on the front porch and watching our three-year old granddaughter play in the yard, with Cricket the golden retriever.

Not one day goes by that I don't think of how I would have gone back and redone that day. How, I would have realized, that it didn't matter if I would never be good enough…because I loved Luke, and Luke loved me…and not one day goes by that I don't tell him that speech I said in my head that last day in the car. He is after all, my everything.

Dr. Clark and Dr. Winston both came to our commitment ceremony. Dr. Winston died peacefully in his sleep the next week, at least I got to properly thank him for everything he did for me before he went. Dr. Clark retired early and moved to the Bahamas, she and Luke stay in good touch. That damn statue sits on our mantle.

And, that's just the way life goes sometimes. At bit too much like a fairy tale…but, looking over at the love of my life, I don't really think I care.

A/N: Whelp...it's finally over guys. (wipes tear) Thank you all for your support and all that jazz. You guys really make it all the more sweet.