It's Happening: NCIS

Chapter 80

(I hope you all read this chapter and take a part of what Sarah is doing with you after this quarantine <3 love you.)

Tim's POV:

"We're actually going to have you wait here for a moment."

"Alright thank you."

The woman at the front desk leaves me alone in the lobby. I don't know if it's visitor time, probably not so they have to go get Sarah to be presentable. Now, I have to stare at these white walls that I hope I'll never have to see again when she gets out of here.

I woke up early with Melissa this morning because I usually get up with her anyway. I didn't plan to be here too early, so when she left, I began to do a little cleaning. Now, hopefully when I see Melissa, I will have two great things to tell her.

"Tim?" I turn around and I see Sarah standing in front of me in her normal clothes. Normal, meaning not the gown that they've had her in since she's been here but her own clothes.

"Sarah." I go to her and hug her. I can feel the happiness radiate off of her. When I take it back, I can see her it in her face that she seems whole again.

"Oh my gosh what are you doing here?"

"What do you think I'm doing I came to visit you."

She smiles and hugs me again. She walks me over to the seats that I'm very familiar with.

"How are you?" She asks me. "How's Melissa?"

"I'm fine. Melissa is great too. We're excited for the wedding. Which is next week, may I remind you."

"Right." She shakes her head. "I-is that what you came to talk to me about?"

Before I can answer her, the woman from the front desk comes with her bags that I helped pack for her when she first came here.

"Here you are, Sarah. Thank you for everything. We're proud of you."

"Thank you, Helen." She smiles at her. When Helen walks away her smile fades and she looks down at the ground.

"Sarah, have you been released?"

She shakes her head.

"Oh my gosh! Sarah that's amazing! Why didn't you call? Why didn't you say anything?"

I see her playing with her hands and she's avoiding looking at me. I don't have to ask her why.

"You're not coming to the wedding are you." I guess I'll have one piece of good news to tell Melissa today. Also, I was hoping that she would be there for some of my happiness as well. She's been by my side for everything. I wanted her there for me this time too.

"No. I'm not."

I shake my head and this time I can't look at her. She makes me by putting her hand on the table. I don't take it, but I do give her my attention.

"It's not because I don't want to be there, I do. It's just-" She clears her throat and thinks for a moment.

I need her to tell me why she won't be there. I want her there badly, but I'm not going to beg her to be there if she doesn't want to be. I want her to tell me why so I can tell Melissa why she isn't going to be there. I'm not going to have this be on me.

"I've intruded on your life enough."

"You do know you are invited, right?"

"I know Tim." She takes a breath and organizes her thoughts. It's not until she finally looks at me with tears in her eyes that something serious is going on.

"I need to live Tim. I need to finally get out there in the world and see what's out there for me. I need to do that now or I know I'm never going to get that chance."

She places her hand loudly on the table. She wants me to grab it and I give in. I may not like what she's saying, but I know where she's coming from.

"I wanted to make dad proud and waited for his phone calls every day. Even the days I knew for a fact I was never going to get a phone call I still waited for him."

I did too when I was younger. Then, I started college and began to have somewhat of a life and forgot about him. From what I'm hearing she never got to get her life started. She went to college for him not for herself.

"Then, I came here for Christmas to see you and spiral out of control. I didn't just come here to see you, but to live for someone else again. I can't do that anymore. And I know," She's getting choked up. I squeeze her hand harder for her to know that I'm still with her.

"I know if I stay for the wedding and see you, her, and everyone else happy that I won't be able to leave, and that's something I need to do."

I'm getting choked up too, but I have to stay strong for her. I know that there are parts of our lives where she lived for me before she came here. I need her to do this too.

This was one of the reasons she turned pills. She needed to feel alive for herself and the pills did. I can't have her relapse. I rather let her go than lose her forever.

"Where will you go?"

She shrugs with amusement. "I don't know. I'm going back to campus to finalize some things and I'm going to take it from there."

She's planned this out more than her application for college and she still made it in.

I have to give her my blessing. I know what it's like to do what you need to for yourself, but still wonder why a person you love doesn't approve of your life.

"You call me anytime you need to okay?"

"I will." I see hope in her eyes. That's something I haven't seen in her for a long time.

I look at her and see the amazing person she's grown into and I'm suddenly lost. "I don't know what to say."

"Tell me you love me and support me."

I have to clear my throat and look her in her eyes, so she know I mean it. "I love you and support you."

She lets the tears out and gets up. I get up along with her and hug her tight. I don't know when I'm going to be able to hug her again.

"Tell Melissa I'm sorry." She says into my ear.

"I won't have to. I can promise you now that'll she'll understand."

"Like you do?"

"Just like I do."

I want to ask her if we can go for one last cup of coffee, but I know the answer already. If she's going to do this, she has to do it now and I know that.

I let her get on the elevator first by herself, so she doesn't have to stay behind and have more reason to be here longer.

I watch her get on and I just wave at her and see the young woman she's turned into.

She holds back her tears and waves one last time. "I love you too."