Love You From A Distance

Chapter Sixteen: In My Arms

A/N: SURPRISE I'M BACK! Now I don't know how I managed to write this because it is peak exam season right now - but who cares? Because I finally finished! So a few weeks did turn into seven weeks (sorry about that) however I hope this final chapter will make up for that!

I'm running two slightly different timelines in this chapter again, so Maya is a few days behind to start with and then they run in present time - it should all make sense as you read!

Now, get comfy and enjoy!

They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, and it's true. But with that, comes heartache and longing and a whole lot of emotions that sometimes are just indescribable. Being away from the one person that made you feel whole was something no person should ever have to go through. However, sometimes love has its own complicated way of working itself out - you just have to give it some time.

"What about this?" Addison asked, holding up another dress.

"I don't know," Carina sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she stood in front of the mirror.

"This one?"

"She should be here," Carina whispered.

"I know," Addison said, putting her hand on the brunette's shoulder.

"Can I just say - she still might be alive!" Andrew pointed out from his place on the bed, staring at the wall.

"I agree!" Jo added, through the screen on the phone.

"You keep talking about her as if she is dead and Carina I know this hurts, I've seen it on you for this past week and a half but you have to hold onto some hope that she's still there!"

"And what if she's not? What if I hold out to that piece of hope forever and she never comes home? What do I do then?" Carina cried.

"Okay - I think we all need to take a second," Addison intervened.

Both the DeLuca siblings sighed and bowed their heads.

"I'm sorry - I didn't mean to make you upset," Andrew apologised, realising he had gone a step too far.

"It's okay. I just- I feel so much, yet nothing at all and its messing with my head a bit. I should be happy, so happy, because this is such an incredible accomplishment for so many months, years of hard work but none it seems to matter without her here. I would tell her about my research." The room seemed to fall deafly silent as Carina spoke, everyone just listening. "She had no clue what was going on, or what I was saying, or what any of it meant really. But she listened, and she cared. She once sent me this article with some research on it and there wasn't much medical information on it, but that wasn't what mattered, it was the fact she wanted to help. She, she was unlike anyone I had ever been with. For that and so many other reasons. She should be here, to celebrate."

"She'd want to be here," Andrew said, walking over to his sister. "You know that more than anyone - Maya is always there for you, through anything and I know she'd be so proud of you. Clapping the loudest, cheering even though you can't," everyone in the room laughed at that, because she would have done. That was just who Maya was when she was with Carina.

She should be here.

Once their laughter died down, the silence fell over them once again. It was sombre and sad and everyone knew why, everyone could feel the weight on their chests - even Jo through the phone could feel it. Like they were all frozen in time for just a second that seemed to last an eternity.

"What dress to you want?" Addison asked, bringing everyone back into the room again - pulling everyone out from under the water and holding them afloat.