There I stood, in the pouring rain. My hair was soaked and I was shivering, but I had bigger problems to deal with. So many problems.I smiled softly through my tears. "This is where we met... In the same situation. But this time it's going to end differently."

"No... Stay with me, Bambi... Just come closer to me. You can stay with me in my house and I'll make sure everyone will stop treating you badly."

I laughed, but I didn't sound like myself. It was cold, and fake, and it almost hurt to laugh in such a miserable situation. I could only imagine the thoughts rushing through Grayson's mind, and there I was laughing.

"You don't know that. You don't know what they'll think of you if you don't stop hanging out with me. I've been so lonely... It never goes away. I can't deal with this anymore." I sobbed.

"Please, I know you don't want to be here anymore. I know you have it hard, so much harder than a lot of other people. But please, at least try to live for me... I can't lose you"

He looked so hurt. And maybe it was the tears in his eyes that caused me to wake up. Or maybe it was everything he said, about how he couldn't lose me. Or maybe the water was just too loud and the waves were just too big and it scared me so much that I had to back down. But whatever the reason, I'm glad I did.

I looked back down at the water below. And then I looked at Grayson, and his pleading eyes. I can't do this. I ran over to him. He pulled me in for the tightest hug and I didn't even care that I almost couldn't breathe. He was there and I was there and we were there together; that was all that mattered in that moment.

"Thank you, oh god, thank you," he cried. We stayed like that for what felt like forever before finally acknowledging how soaked we were and leaving.

I stayed with him and his mother after that. She was hesitant at first, but we talked to her about what I'd been through and she welcomed me with open arms. A year later my mother realized what she'd done to me, and our relationship, and she agreed to try and get her shit together and deal with her alcoholism.

Three years later she finally contacted me, after being sober for nine months. She found a job at a local coffee shop and wanted to be a better person. I couldn't go back to loving her or seeing her every day, but we ended things on better terms, and that I was okay with.

At 25, Grayson finally proposed. I was shocked. All I'd ever wanted was for him to be happy, and I'd never seen him look so excited. I knew he'd be happy with Alora; she was such a sweet woman and was accepting of our friendship.

At 27, I met Ryan. He was supportive of my past and was willing to stand by me through thick and thin, and so he did. Four years later we married, and not long after that I fell pregnant.

And let me tell you one thing;

My Hannah was beautiful.