Being Alive [Charlie Barber]

Chapter 27 : Finale

(A/N: This is the LAST chapter. I'll be adding a sappy note at the end, but I wanted to give that warning from the beginning. Enjoy!)

    While living in the small town you were from, you always imagined New York as the place where all of your dreams could come true.

    You told yourself that if you moved there, you could make it.

    Your academic and professional journey had been lackluster in Illinois. The biggest thing that you accomplished was directing a middle school play all on your own. It hadn't been easy dealing with preteens and overbearing parents, but it was nothing compared to a real job.

    Moving to a new city all on your own, with no plans, had been the bravest thing you'd ever done.

    Everyone doubted you when you did it.

    They said things like: You were too trusting and naive. You'd never make it in a fast-paced, cut-throat city like New York.

    Even if you somehow did cope with the lifestyle change, there was no way that you'd ever find a job connected to the theater. At best, you'd work at a coffee shop and sweep the local company's floors, they thought.

    Being the director of Exit Ghost was more than you and anyone else thought that you could've ever accomplished.

You achieved your wildest dream.

So why weren't you happy?

The next several weeks went by in a fast-paced, melancholy haze.

Charlie spent almost all of his time getting ready to move, and although you didn't leave his side for a moment, you could feel his constant stress and distraction. It would be false to say you spent time with him. He was there physically but not in spirit.

He only had one more week in New York, which would mostly be spent packing and getting the theater ready for you to take over.

You couldn't think of a more bittersweet situation.

"This is a good one," Charlie said, holding up a glass food storage container. "It has a lid too." He added, holding it up to show you. "You need this. Get rid of the plastic ones you have."

You were helping Charlie pack up the apartment and every time he came across something that he didn't want to take to LA, he would set it aside for you. It was sweet and something about having your apartment filled with his belongings made this somewhat more bearable.

"Thanks," You told him, folding up a blanket and placing it in one of the boxes that he was going to ship to Nicole.

Seeing the apartment almost empty made your heart hurt.

But you knew it was nothing compared to the feelings Charlie was having. He was leaving behind the space he raised his son in, the city where he established himself as a director, and the state where he fell in love with you.