That morning, Alyx was awake early, mentally preparing how to tell Marshall the news of her moving out of the apartment. She was found by Robin and Ted, who were coming out of his room for a date.
"Good morning, Alyx." "Hey, Alyx." Ted and Robin greeted her.
"Hey, guys. How are you?" she said, emerging from her thoughts with a slight sigh.
"You okay?" Ted asked, noticing her odd posture.
"Yeah, just thinking."
"Are you sure?" Robin asked, moving closer to the sofa.
"Yeah, I—" she didn't finish as Marshall came out of his room. "Morning," he greeted with a small yawn.
He then briefly recounted his previous night with Barney and his encounter with Lily to the group. Hearing that Lily had sought out only Marshall to ask him to get back together made Alyx feel sad and uncomfortable. It seemed, as she had thought, that she was just a 'plus' in their equation, not an integral and equal part of it.
This gave her the strength to act after Robin and Ted left.
She took a deep breath. It was time.
"Marshall," she said, her voice oddly calm. "I need to talk to you. It's serious."
He looked up, confused by her tone. She gestured with her head towards her room, as it was better not to be interrupted mid-conversation by Ted, Robin, or even Barney if they returned. Once inside with the door closed, Alyx leaned against the dresser.
"I'm moving out," she said, without preamble.
Marshall blinked. "What? Where? Why?"
"To an apartment in Williamsburg. It's just time."
"Time for what? Alyx, this... is it because of Lily? Because of what I told you about her coming back? I... You don't have to leave. Things are... weird, but..."
"It's not just because of Lily," she interrupted gently. "It's because of me. I've spent months taking care of you, Marshall. Holding you up. And I love you, I know you know that. But in all this, I... I've lost myself in the process. I became what you needed, and I couldn't be fully *me*."
"Do I understand? Was I a burden? Am I selfish? But what am I without you here?" The question came out childish and so vulnerable it broke her heart.
"You're Marshall Eriksen," she said firmly. "You're a lawyer on the rise, the man who last night said 'no' to the woman who broke his heart because he understood she was right. That man doesn't need a babysitter. He just needs to learn how to fly on his own."
"And what about us?" he asked, his voice cracking, his eyes glassy.
"We'll still be us. But not like before. Now, it will be from a healthy distance. I promise I won't disappear from your life completely. But I need my own space."
Marshall looked at her seriously, and in his eyes, Alyx saw he understood. That deep down, he knew she was right. He nodded slowly and asked, "When?"
"Tomorrow. I already signed the lease."
A silence fell until Marshall stood up and hugged her. A strong hug full of gratitude, affection, and farewell. "You're the best person I know, A.L.," he murmured against her shoulder.
Alyx closed her eyes, holding back tears. "You too, Marshmallow."
For the rest of the day, Alyx dedicated herself to packing her things. She carefully packed her computer and laptop in boxes with foam padding. Marshall silently helped her pack her clothes and shoes into her suitcase and boxes. They were each focused on their tasks, with brief conversations about where to store what. She packed a few pots and kitchen utensils, though not many. What she absolutely couldn't leave behind was her powerful coffee maker.
That's how it went. There were only brief pauses to reorganize some more important items. In the afternoon, a small moving truck arrived to take the desk, coffee maker, computer, and the heavier, bulkier clothes and shoes they had packed. Marshall and Alyx went together to Alyx's new home. He helped her carry her heavy things up with the movers. He saw the apartment, noticing brief glimpses of the same memories with Alyx and Lily—the latter having told him about the kind of place she would love to live in: full of light, with a private balcony to paint outdoors, with a kitchen (though open in layout) with countertops and drawers for utensils. It was so perfectly to Lily's taste that Marshall couldn't help but look at Alyx with pity and understanding as she concentrated on setting up her computer.
But he couldn't bring himself to say anything, because he understood that while he had already gone through the pain of losing Lily, Alyx seemed to be moving into a home that was Lily's dream, as if sentencing herself to a life there.
After briefly arranging the new apartment, they returned to what was now Ted and Marshall's shared apartment, as they had agreed that Alyx would officially move into her new home tomorrow, and tonight they would have dinner together as a farewell.
Upon returning, Marshall decided to call Ted and Robin to say goodbye to Alyx, but they were on their couple adventures and didn't answer. He thought of calling Barney but didn't want the farewell to be awkward. So the two of them ate burgers they had delivered, amidst trivial conversation and low-quality TV. It was a moment they hadn't shared in so long that Marshall felt remorse and sadness for not being with her before and for sinking so deeply into his own pain over Lily when, just a few steps away, there was someone he loved and who had also been broken by their other love.
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