A/N: can you all believe it's almost the end? (and I mean almost, we still have an epilogue left). it's been like a month or two since my last update, but...wow everyone, im actually going to finish this. i hope everyone enjoyed it. im sorry its taken me forever but at least its not going to be unfinished forever, right?! anyways, lets get on with it!

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Longing, dread, love, dear- there was nothing going on, and yet everything was happening all at once. 

The walk to Allison's seemed to creep past as if in a haze; and it all was. Memories dropped over the scenery like fog; today wasn't clear. It couldn't be.

She could remember that first day as clear as the summer beach sky, nerves scuttling and squirming under her skin like bugs. That day, all those months ago, the sky was clear. Cool, yet clear, the morning breeze whisking away the heat of the summer sun. So different from today's cloudy skies. There was a storm in her heart. 

Everything must come to an end eventually, even times and people as magical as everything that happened this summer. Haseul had be reckoning with this for weeks now, and had even accepted this for days. But if it didn't hurt. It hurt yesterday, it hurt today, and it would probably hurt for a little while. 

There was nothing she could do about it though. Well, there was one thing actually: she could not dwell. She could reminisce on the good and avoid the thoughts of the bad, the end. Accept that the end was the price of the good and not let it ruin everything. 

There was some serious salt in the ocean wind, tangling through Haseul's toussled hair, sending it flying. It reeked in the best way possible; she hoped the sea smell would stick to her clothes for weeks; she could taste it on her tongue. The gravel under her feet crunched like salt in but she couldn't hear a thing, the wind and the thoughts in her mind drowning out every other noise. 

So before she even realized she had reached Allison's. She took a deep breath; dilly-dallying by the front door would only make things worse. So she just pushed her way in. 

"Haseul!!!" A voice whined as soon as she stepped inside. Before she could even think, she was squished in a massive hug by two of her bestest friends. "We're gonna miss you so much," Heejin added. 

"It's so unfair that you have to go back," Hyunjin added, and Haseul chuckled. 

"Agreed." 

"We were hoping you'd come visit us before today!" Heejin said. 

"What, did you think I was going to leave without saying goodbye?" 

"If you didn't come, we were planning to invade your house," Hyunjin spoke with a giggle. 

"You think Yeojin would ever allow an invasion?" 

The girls all laughed, and Haseul let out a soft exhale: she could always count on her girls to cheer her up. 

It was sad, of course, and they were clearly sad. But that doomsday feeling was gone; they were taking everything with as much joy as they possibly could, so she could too. 

"I do have to admit though, I did swing by to drop off my uniform."

Heejin and Hyunjin both jokingly gasped. 

"Betrayal," Hyunjin whispered. 

"Alright, fine. Go give Allison your stuff and come back here with us."

"It's dead as in here today."

Haseul took a look around; she was right. The floor was both completely empty (except for the girls) and completely spotless. But what else could you expect from a cloudy cold day? 

"Hurry up so you can come hang with us!" Hyunjin whined.

"Okay, okay!" Haseul answered, laughing, and headed towards the back. 

The smell of the good kind of grease and the homiest of foods filled her nose, and Haseul exhaled. Back here it felt safe, among the old equipment and the cooks (who had snuck to the back for a cigarette) and ingredients Haseul knew would live up to their full potential as the tastiest food ever. 

Finally, there she was: in that office, where she first began her journey here. The first time she could remember that she began to just...let go. Allison's inner warmth surrounded her as she stood up from her office chair, that ever serene smile on her face. 

"Is this goodbye?"

Haseul passed the older woman the uniform. "For now." 

Slowly, Allison exhaled and nodded. "For now." 

Wordlessly, she pulled Haseul into a hug, and Haseul just melted into her large frame. The last of those anxious butterflies dancing around in her belly finally settled down, and she breathed. 

"Thank you. For all of your hard work. It's going to be hard to find anyone like you to work here." 

A few months ago, Haseul would've denied everything. But she really did put in the work. Hell, she'd been willing to come in the morning, on her day off, on her BIRTHDAY no less. There was no point in denying the compliment. 

"I hope you'll find someone at least half as good as me." 

"Things will slow down anyway, with summer ending and all. And, you know, there will always be a place for you here." 

"I know." And it was true. Allison's 24-hour, her grandmother's, Egret Cove itself, would always be open to her. The door wasn't being shut all the way. Just propped shut, for the moment. 

Egret Cove was home. And home would never leave there, it would always be there for her, whether she needed it there or not. 

There was something comforting, though, in that she didn't need it quite as bad as she did when she arrived. That this place was more of a want than a need, and now, she could survive on her own. 

"Thank you, Allison. For everything. It's been...amazing." 

"I think your presence here has been good for everyone. You will most definitely be missed."

"And all of you will be missed so much too." 

Allison smiled again, so warm and safe, and lightly patted Haseul's back. 

"Don't be a stranger, okay?" 

"I would never." 

Haseul returned Allison's smile, replicating that brightness, in her own way this time. 

"Now go. Hang out with your girls." 

Haseul chuckled. "I will." 

So with a deep breath, she turned her back and headed out of the office. 

The steps she took were slow and deliberate, giving herself those few seconds to collect herself to go back to her friends. So when she arrived back in the main dining room, she took a deep breath and smiled. 

"Come on!" Hyunjin said with a laugh, tugging Haseul's arm, leading her to a chair, the girls forgetting all of the pain of tomorrow. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Haseul couldn't possibly rank all of the goodbyes she had to give, but damn was this one going to be hard. 

Vivi. 

No matter how many times she told herself that they'd promised to meet up any time they were on breaks; thanksgiving, Christmas, spring, random three day weekends; and that Haseul and Vivi would both come back to Egret Cove next summer, and that Haseul would go to the same college as Vivi, and that maybe after her freshman year they'd move in together, and that it was only one year of separation before they could start their life together....it still hurt. No matter how much contact they would have, no matter how often they would text and call, it just wouldn't be the same. It couldn't. And that  hurt. 

She was almost reluctant to even say goodbye, as that would make it final. But she did owe it to both of them. So when she finally got to Vivi's, on her way back from Allison's, she knocked on the door with a heavy sigh. 

Vivi opened it almost immediately, as per usual, and wrapped Haseul in the sweetest, tightest of hugs. Haseul nestled herself in her girlfriend's shoulder, allowing herself to take a whiff of her hair. It smelled good, like the beach, like her. She was too sad to feel creepy about it. 

"Do you want to keep this short?" Haseul asked quietly, into the crook of Vivi's neck. 

"Yeah. But not really." 

"Me too." 

"Baby..." Vivi pulled away to look Haseul in the eyes, holding onto her arms. "Don't forget everything, okay?" 

Haseul huffed with a small smile. "How could I? You think I could ever forget this summer? Or my girlfriend?" 

"No, no...I mean, I know, of course you won't forget those things...but I mean...don't forget yourself, okay?" Haseul tilted her head a little, and Vivi continued. "I mean, people change, that's kind of the point of being the ages we're at, we're supposed to change. Just...don't go back, okay?" 

Slowly, Haseul nodded. "Okay. I promise." 

~~~~~~~~~~

Dinner was weird. 

Haseul, Yeojin, and grandma, sitting around the table just like any other night, trying their best to ignore the weight of the next day. It was so strange to think that this was it: the last time the three of them would just sit like this, for the summer, maybe even forever. Even if they somehow came together like this again, it would never quite be the same. And that wasn't a bad thing, really. It was just weird. 

They set their utensils down, and grandma took a deep breath. 

"I think I would like to go to bed now." 

"I'll help you," Haseul said, letting Yeojin sit back down. Yeojin was usually the one that helped her, but tonight, Haseul wanted to take care of it. She was planning to leave early in the morning, as the sun was coming up, so this was goodbye (she didn't want a long, drawn-out farewell, but somehow, this whole day had turned into that). 

Haseul stood up and led her grandmother back to her bedroom, helping her into her bed. 

"You're leaving tomorrow morning?" 

"Yeah." 

She sighed softly. "Give your old grandma a hug." 

Haseul leaned in and held her tight. Maybe she should've spent more time with her this summer. 

"I'll miss you so much." 

"I'll miss you too, sweetie." She ran her fingers through Haseul's hair. "You're such a smart, sweet girl. I hope you're happy." 

"I am, grandma," Haseul answered, and she meant it.

"Good." She leaned up to give her granddaughter a wet kiss on the cheek, but she didn't mind. "Good night, dear. Get home safe." 

"Will do." 

Haseul slowly left her grandmother in her room, shutting off the light as she went back into the kitchen. Yeojin was still sitting there at the table, dirty dishes all over, with her little arms crossed over her chest. 

"Are you gonna leave super early tomorrow so you don't have to say goodbye then?" 

Haseul made a face. Yeojin was way too smart for her own good. 

"I think it's for the best. We can say goodbye now so it's not all sad in the morning. So we can start fresh."

Yeojin pouted but got out of her seat, squeezing her cousin tight. "You're right," she mumbled into Haseul. "But I hate it." 

"Me too, Yeojin." 

She let her cousin hug her for as long as she needed. Haseul knew that as bad as this was for herself, it would be even worse for her cousin. She heard a sniffle, and her heart broke. 

"Yeojin, don't cry. I promise I'll visit as much as I can." 

"I'm not crying!" Yeojin spoke loudly, and Haseul chuckled to herself. She finally pulled away and wiped her eyes, rubbing a little too hard. "And you better visit!" 

"I will! I will." 

Yeojin looked up at her cousin sternly. "Now, can you do the dishes while I tell you about my minecraft house? Then we won't have to think about it. Just like how you want." 

Haseul laughed a little to herself. "Sure." 

So as Haseul cleared the table, Yeojin hopped onto the kitchen counter, describing every detail of her game and her friends and what she was going to do when school started again, and Haseul just listened with the smallest of smiles on her lips. They were both going to be okay.