Janie sat on the floor of the master bedroom flipping through old photographs from a time that their love was undeniable. Oh, how things have changed so much. The tears cascaded down her face as she gazed down at her favorite picture. The timing was just right; the sun was hitting her face which held a wide smile, her eyes lit up with love, Alex’s hand rested on the side of her face as he stared lovingly at her. Oh how things had changed.

​Now, Janie can't even begin to remember the last time Alex looked at her like that, like she was a prized possession. She wiped the tears from her cloudy blue eyes and placed the last picture in the box, placing a lid on her memories she sat the box on the four poster king bed along with the divorce papers that she kept hidden from Alex for the past six months. Turning away, Janie walked to the closet where she began packing her bags, taking only the necessities. As she zipped the last suitcase, she couldn't help but notice the ring that still rested on her finger, she had never even thought about taking it off until now.

The tears never slowed as she slipped the ring from her finger and placed it on top of the divorce papers. She never imagined it would come to this, she had tried everything to fix their relationship but nothing ever changed. Grabbing the bags, Janie turned the light off and left the room. She placed the bags at the top of the staircase and walked into the office where she proceeded to write the heart wrenching letter. She knew she couldn't face Alex, he wouldn't understand and he wouldn't listen, he never did anymore but most of all seeing him would make her not want to go and she needed to do this. She needed to leave. Coming into the marriage, into the relationship in general Janie knew that it would be hard; she knew that he worked a hectic schedule and she understood that. She accepted that and supported him in every way that she could. But when Alex began acting like coming home to his wife and daughter was more of a chore than a choice, Janie couldn't ignore it anymore.

Her heart broke every time she watched him come home from the recording studio or the bar, walk right past his daughter and not even bother to acknowledge Janie. It killed her to sit with her daughter Adelia, cooing her to sleep as she cried because she believed her own father hates her. That was the final strike; Janie had decided that she wouldn't allow her daughter, their daughter to grow up in a household with no love. She tried for a year to tell this to Alex, she warned him but as usual he didn't listen which left her with no option. Janie gathered her bags and her daughter as the taxi pulled up.

The driver got out of the car and loaded the bags into the trunk as Janie placed Adelia in the car.

"Where to Ma'am?" The driver with the thick indescribable accent asked as Janie closed the door.

"The nearest airport please" Janie requested

"Mommy...where we going?" The innocent three year old asked, her big brown doe eyes looking up at her mother with curiosity.

Janie turned her attention to her daughter, wanting to shield her from everything that was taking place.

"We're going to grandma and Pappy's for a little while"

"With the horses and duckies?" Adelia asked, the excitement building in her small body

"Yes baby, with the horses and duckies" Janie whispered, placing a kiss on her daughters dark, curly head.

"Is daddy coming too?" the innocent little girl asked.

"No, honey daddy isn't coming" Janie replied shakily. How was she supposed to tell such an innocent little soul that she wouldn't see her father anymore? This question plagued Janie's mind until they got to the airport. She paid the driver, whom seemed to understand Janie's predicament and willingly carried the bags into the airport while Janie carried Adelia who had fallen asleep.

'Thank You" Janie said one last time to the driver who gave a curt nod before walking back to his cab.

Luckily, the airport was fairly empty allowing Janie to get through all of the checks and on the plain fairly quickly. She cradled her daughter in her lap after the plane took off, on its way to a small town in North Carolina. Janie knew that Alex was probably just getting home to find the letter and an empty house.

Alex pulled up to the familiar house that he calls home, surprised to see all of the lights off, including the front porch light that Janie always left on for him. He walked up to the door once again surprised to find it locked, that's when he saw it, the letter. He ripped the letter from the door and hurriedly unlocked the door; walking into the dark house he ran his hand blindly along the wall until he found the light switch.

He noticed that the letter was written in Janie's distinguished scrawl
Alexander William Gaskarth,
I love you. I always have and I always will, nothing could ever change that...even if you’ve stop loving me. I can't do this anymore though, I just can't. I can't allow our baby girl to grow up in a home with no love. I tried everything I could think of to save us, but I can't do it alone, it takes two people to be in love Alex. Even when you are here I feel alone and I...I can't do it. I left the divorce papers along with your ring on the bed; everything else is where it should be. Anyways, I took a taxi to the airport and I have Adelia with me so don't worry. I love you so much Alexander, I wish it would have never come to this.
Love Forever and Always, Janie Rose Alex read the letter, over and over and over again before it finally hit him like a freight train.

"Janie?!" He called out to the empty house, his voice echoing throughout the room.

He ran upstairs still shouting "Janie. I swear if this is some sick joke it isn't funny"

Alex first ran to Adelias room, he opened the door quickly and frantically searched for a switch. Turning the light on he found he room empty. "No, no no no no no..." Alex cried as he rushed to the closet, empty....the dresser empty. There was no trace that Adelia had even existed in the room. Alex’s hands began to shake as he called his mom, still hoping this was some kind of misunderstanding, praying that someone was pulling some horrible prank on him. His hands shook as he pulled his iphone out and called his mom, hoping she would tell him they were over eating dinner or watching a movie...or doing anything, really.

'hello?"

"Mom...mom is Janie there? Did she leave Adelia there?" Alex asked

"No, honey is everything okay?" isobel asked, concern in her voice

"I-I don't know mom...I'll call you back okay" Alex said, not even waiting he hung the phone up and ran towards his and Janie's room, and just like the letter said, on the bed sat the ring and the papers along with a box. Alex fell to his knees and sobbed, finally everything dawned on him. This wasn't a joke this was real, Janie and Adelia were really gone. It all made sense to him now....all of the times she tried to get his attention. All of the nights she went to bed alone, woke up alone, took care of Adelia alone...because he was too busy with the band or going out to party. The time she had made him a romantic dinner for his birthday but he came home late. She had waited up, still sitting at the table crying with the untouched food in front of her...she wouldn't even look at him, she was crushed. The times that she sent Adelia to his moms house so they could have their own time and he pushed her away. All of the times they fought...she was only trying to get his attention and he pushed her away.

"Mommy...s-shes g-gone" Alex sobbed into the phone

"Who honey? Who is gone?" Isobel asked, worry and concern filling her voice

"Janie...she took Adelia and they are gone…she left mom" Alex cried

"I'm so sorry Alexander, honey why don't you come over" Isobel suggested

"It's my fault..I pushed her away. I pushed her to do this" Alex said, now getting angry with himself.

"Don't talk like that honey"

"I...I cant even remember the last time I just held her...told her I love her" Alex whispered

"Do you love her son?" Isobel prompted "More than the world" Alex sobbed "Alexander....go after her. Prove it to her."

This was the start of his mission to prove to Janie his love. It's true though you don't know what you've got until it's gone.

Notes

So, this is a "new" story, by that I just mean that it's an old story that I am reworking into an All Time Low/Alex story.

I hope you guys enjoy it. :)
<3 Katy