3.18 – A Sorrowful Parting

The days leading up to Quinn’s departure felt heavier than Leona had expected. She tried to keep busy, while spending as much time with her as possible, but no matter how much they laughed and joked, the reality of the upcoming goodbye loomed over them.

Quinn, for her part, acted as if it wasn’t a big deal. She packed in spurts, never really making a production of it. She blasted music in her room, still working on her DJ mixes as if nothing was about to change. But Leona caught the quiet moments—the way Quinn would glance at her when she thought she wasn’t looking, the slight pause before she responded to questions about her move.

One night, Leona lingered in Quinn’s room, sprawled out on the old office sofa she crashed on while Quinn worked at her desk, adjusting the levels on a new mix.

“Hey,” Leona said, her voice barely above the music.

“Hm?” Quinn didn’t look away from the screen.

“Are you scared?”

Quinn paused mid-adjustment and finally turned the volume down before spinning her chair toward Leona. “Scared? Of what?”

Leona shrugged, avoiding eye contact. “You know… leaving. Starting college. Being on your own for the first time.”

Quinn smirked and spun in her chair lazily. “Nah. More excited than anything. LA’s gonna be sick. I’ll finally get to focus on music full-time, work with real pros, go to underground clubs there, and get some serious networking in. I’ve been waiting for this, munchkin.”

Leona nodded slowly. “Yeah. I know. But I’m not small anymore though.” She offered her sister a small laugh.

Quinn tilted her head. “Yeah. Old habits die hard. Anyway, what about you?”

Leona scoffed. “I don’t know. I’ll keep doing the hero thing. That aside, it’s just… I don’t know. It won’t be the same at home without you.”

Quinn’s smirk softened into something gentler. “I know, shrimp. But you’ll be fine. You’ve got your hero stuff, your friends, and let’s be real—you’re gonna be so busy saving the city that you won’t even notice I’m gone.”

Leona frowned. “That’s not true.” It took quite a lot to resist a sudden urge to sob.

Quinn chuckled and got up, sitting on the bed beside her. “Yeah, yeah. I know. I’ll miss you too, dummy.” She reached over and flicked Leona’s forehead. “Such a long face. But we’ll call, text, and I’ll visit on holidays. And like I said—if you need me, I’ll hop in my car and be back before you can cry about it, but do remember, you can get to me far faster and I’ll be busy with college classes.”

Leona sniffled. “I’m not crying.”

“Yet.”

They both laughed, but when Quinn pulled her into a tight hug, Leona clung back, feeling a lump form in her throat. Ultimately she couldn’t keep hold back her tears.

The morning of Quinn’s departure, the house was eerily quiet.

Leona sat at the kitchen table, pushing her cereal around with her spoon, not really eating. Quinn was stuffing the last of her things into a duffel bag, while Goonie went over last-minute advice about safe driving, healthy eating, and budgeting.

“You have your pepper spray, right?” Goonie asked.

“Yes, Mom,” Quinn groaned.

“And your emergency cash?”

“Yesss, Mom.”

Leona smirked despite herself. It was rare to see Quinn on the receiving end of Goonie’s motherly fussing.

When they finally loaded the last of Quinn’s bags into the car, the moment she had been dreading arrived. They stood in the driveway, the sun barely rising, casting long shadows across the pavement.

Quinn turned to Leona and grinned. “Alright, shrimp. Last chance to hop in the trunk and smuggle yourself to LA.”

Leona let out a weak laugh. “Tempting.”

Quinn pulled her into one last, bone-crushing hug. “Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone, okay?”

Leona muffled her response into Quinn’s shoulder. “No promises.”

Quinn laughed, pulling back to wipe a tear from Leona’s cheek. “Ugh. You’re making me emotional, you brat.”

Leona sniffled. “Shut up.”

Quinn ruffled her hair, then climbed into the driver’s seat, vaulting over the door as always. What doors? Goonie gave her a long, heartfelt goodbye, pressing a small envelope into her hand. “Just a little something extra in case you need it.”

Quinn smirked but took it without protest. “Thanks, Mom.”

Leona stepped back as the engine roared to life. Quinn gave them both one last look, then flashed a peace sign. “Catch you later, losers.”

And then she was gone.

The home was quiet like never experienced before. Leona stared out the window, feeling like there was a Quinn-shaped hole in the world now. Eventually, Goonie came over to her room and held her hand gently.

“You okay, sweetheart?”

Leona hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah… I just—"

Goonie squeezed her hand. “I know.”

Leona managed a small smile. “At least we still have each other.”

Goonie smiled back. “Always.”

That night, Leona lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The house felt emptier without Quinn’s music blasting from downstairs, without her laughter filling the rooms.

Eventually, she rolled over and grabbed her phone, tears in her eyes.

SilverWind14: You there, Mistral?

NativeFetishes03: Yeah. I’m free to talk. Want to call?

Leona smiled softly and typed back.

SilverWind14: Yeah. I’d like that.

When Mistral answered, her voice was warm and teasing, “So today was the big day, eh? Missing your sister already?”

Leona sighed dramatically. “Yeah. I miss her already so much. The house feels so empty now. It’s only been a few hours, and I’m already dying.”

Mistral chuckled. “You’ll survive, not that I really know how you feel. I mean, I feel lonely sometimes too, but when you’re in college and beyond that, we often end up alone. As for me, it’s been a long time since I had anyone to rely on. Well, until you, that is.”

“Yeah…” Leona heaved a heavy sigh. Mistral’s life sounded more lonely than hers. She didn’t have a Goonie of her own to lean on when she felt sad? That just meant that she had to work extra hard to be the person that Mistral most needed. “I get you.”