and we got older.

I am finally faced with Shepard telling me goodbye. And it is every ounce as bittersweet as I knew it would be when I braced for it going into the third game for the first time.

Her voice is calm; she’s quiet. She’s softly telling me it’s okay. It’s okay to let her go. For once, it’s not Shepard saying “I should go.”

It’s her telling *ME* that *I* should go–that I have to go; it is important that I go.

And what’s more is she is reassuring me that no matter where my next adventure takes me, she will always be there in some way, in some spirit; and that she puts her whole faith in me that I am up to that challenge and walking down a new path.

So while my heart breaks, because I love Shepard and she just sounds so small and so tired and I hate saying goodbye to someone who has given me so much, I feel an odd sense of peace.

So thank you, Shepard, for giving me a guiding light that I never really knew I needed. Thank you for being that role model that I always wanted but never had. Thank you for teaching me so much about myself that I was afraid to see.

I will always miss you. But you are right–we have to go forward and then look back. Take care, Commander.

Now if you will excuse me…

I should go.

Helena ↠ My Chemical Romance