It was quite. It had been since Clary walked out here 5 minutes ago. There were now drinks on the coffee table, the atmosphere definitely more calm than it had been before. It was also extremely awkward. Clary was about 5 minutes from getting up and going back to her room.

Jocelyn and Luke were exchanging looks before she finally spoke up.

"Clary. What do you want?" she asked

"Uh what do you mean. You called me out here."

"I mean out of life, for your future?"

"Why?"

"I just- I've never asked have I?"

"You haven't. So you want the truth or the answer that you've instilled in me?"

"The truth Clary." Luke's deep voice cuts through the tension a little. Clary still see's her mother look down, avoiding her eyes. There's a part of her that feels guilty about all of the words she's said, all of the worlds shes about to say but maybe this will be good for all of them.

"I'm not entirely sure. I do know I want to finish college, I've worked too hard to give up this close to the end. I also know that I want to do art and that I don't want to go to medical school right away. I just- I want time. I want time to try doing what I want and see if I can live and be happy off of that before I commit to the life of a doctor but-" Clary tapers off and goes quite.

"But what?" Luke prompts, the look in his eye telling her to just get it all out.

"But- I don't want to let you down. I still want to be able to support you and be the daughter you want, the doctor. I love you. I've always been willing to sacrifice my dreams for you but I'm afraid that I'll lose a part of myself when I do."

It was quiet again for several minutes.

"Okay." Jocelyn said, slight breathy, as if she had just been punched in the face.

"Okay?"

"Okay. Say you take a gap year before med school, if I give you that time you want so much. What will you do with it."

"I was actually just talking about that." Clary tells her about the job Jace was telling her about and what it would mean.

"So you want to follow your dreams for a year, by traveling around the world with your boyfriend of what a week! Clary I've raised you better than that!"

"I've known him longer than that! I also would have to apply for the job and see if I get it first its not a set in stone plan yet. I have time to work our details before graduating and if I don't get the job there are workshops that I can do with painters around here It's not like I would do nothing and waste my time." Talking to Joclyn, often was like talking to a brick wall. This time maybe just maybe there was a crack in that wall.

"Say you do get the job. What if you and Jace break up."

"We wont. If we do then we make it work until the end but I'm telling you now, that we wont."

"You can't be so sure Clarissa!"

"I can." She responded firmly. "I can because I feel it. I have never felt so right about anything else in my life, but this- this I know is right. If things go bad, that's on me but Jace isn't like that."

"Love can be blinding Clary."

"I've never seen so clearly before. Hold on let me show you something." Clary gets up to get her phone and the paints that Jace got her while at the beach. Opening her gallery to a photo of the sunset she had painted, with an addition. At some point Clary realized that she wanted the painting to be a memory of this time, of one of her happiest moments. So she added Jace, in the painting you could see his bare back, his blonde hair flowing a little in the wind, in a messy but attractive manner as always.

"He bought me these. He told me to paint what I wanted and for the first time in so so long I looked up from a textbook and saw what was in front of me. I saw what I dreamed about. I see the possibilities of a happy future."

"Clary that's incredible. I didn't realized you had improved this much." Of course its Luke that's speaking. Her mother would never be so vocal but she does turn to Luke and allows conversation to pass through their eyes.

"If I let you do this, what guarantee do I have that you'll come home if it doesn't work?" She finally asks, some what deflated but still stern.

"We don't know if ill get the job yet but-"

"You will, that's not the problem here." Clary froze for a second at the offhanded compliment. She never thought her mother liked her work. Maybe she had been a little blind too. With a soft smile Clary continues.

"I'm going to apply to med school anyway. I'll apply to a local one and if I get in I'll defer my enrollment until the 1 year is over. Then I will decide based on how it goes."

"Okay. As long as you promise to come back then we'll try it out. I want you to be happy Clary, I don't want you to resent me for not letting you try."

Clary wouldn't say she squealed, it was more like a girly screech. She was excited enough to launch off her chair and onto the couch to hug her mother.

"Okay okay! Calm down!" Jocelyn's response is all laughter. It feels nice, Clary is sure the two haven't been like this since she was in highschool. "Now tell me all about you trip!"

Things had gotten a lot better in the past few months. They had been lighter for Clary. Even though she was busy with classes and working at Luke's book shop, yet she was able to breath easily. The idea that she didn't have to hold herself back when she wanted to paint or spend time with her friends. She was able to go on dates with her ever supportive boyfriend and live in the way she had always wanted too.

Today was graduation day and Clary over the moon. Just last week she had gotten the confirmation that she did in fact get the job and would now be free to travel the world with Jace doing what she loved the most.

She and her mom had gotten closer, now that the barriers of expectation had been reduced conversation was easy flowing between them. They were able to talk about anything and everything, the way they had when Clary was younger. Of course it had taken them time to get there but it did get there.

Jocylyn and Luke had finally decided to be more official with their relationship since things were less tense. Clary knew for a fact Luke was planning to propose tonight(She already had plans to come back with Jace for the wedding).

For the first time ever Clary felt absolutely free and happy. While there were stresses, while she and Jace had their fair share of arguments, preparing to travel was a lot of running around, plus there had been finals and graduation. There were good moments too and it was worth it.

Tonight they were all going to dinner to celebrate and for once everything felt right.

Epilogue:

Clary and Jace walked out of the airport hand in hand. It was the third time the 2 were coming back since they had left a little over a year ago. So much had changed. Jocyln and Luke had gotten married, so had Alec and Magnus. The couple were now getting ready to adopt a baby. Simon and Isabell were engaged, that's why they back this time.

For Jace and Clary, their relationship had gotten stronger dealing with the hassles of traveling and dealing with flirty strangers. Experiencing so much and getting to see the world was like a dream come true. The columns they had been working on had taken off, they were making more than enough to support themselves. As a result it was time to come home. They had both been offered promotions heading the travel web page as a couple. It turns out a lot of readers like the dynamic they shared online and that only heightened their popularity.

They would announce tonight that they would be working out of the New York office, and while they would still travel occasionally, they would get to settle and start the life they were ready for.

Clary was also being given the chance to showcase her works professionally, she was gaining notoriety in the art world due to her international pieces and was excited to start spending more time painting her home city too.

If you had told either of them 2 years ago that this would be their life they would have called you crazy. Now they're living the dream and happier than ever before.

ITS FINISHED. AFTER 3 Years this fic is done WOW I'm really amazed and I want to thank all of you that stayed with me on this journey. I'm sorry the ending wasn't the best but I'm glad it did finish the way it did. It gives me hope for a better future for myself.

Anyway like I said before if you like my writing and/or BTS check out my twitter youngkookiees and my ao3 NewBeginings. I'm happy to start writing more again and my new fics are greatly imporved.

I love you all 3 byeeeee.