It’s over. For the last 4 years, my friends and I had a ritual. It consisted of standing in line for about a whole work day, eagerly anticipating the next cinematic installment of the Twilight book series.

And, tonight, sadly, the last installment has been eagerly anticipated and seen.

I remember how I felt every time I came home from watching. I’d be giddy as a schoolgirl because each movie was “so good!” Then I’d feel sad because it would be another 365 days or more until the next installment.

Tonight, I can’t say that. But the positive thought I have is that it was so good, so much so that I felt a tingle in my leg while watching Breaking Dawn Part II. If my vote counted, I would have Bill Condon re-do the previous 3 movies that he didn’t direct.

Breaking Dawn Part II was short and sweet. It was kind of like looking back on your high school or college years — Closing one chapter and opening a new one. The possibilities are endless.

For someone who hates to read, this movie gave me all the good feelings about why I got hooked on the series in the first place. It’s an escape from reality. It makes me believe in the power of love. It just makes me happy, and that’s saying a lot.

I think what really separates the Breaking Dawn movies from the previous ones is that the characters seemed “real.” I just felt more of a connection with the characters. I felt like Edward was almost human-like. And Bella had matured from this awkward, clumsy girl to a woman.

As a fan of the series, this conclusion left me feeling great. I am sad that there won’t be a next year, but I hang on to the hope that Midnight Sun will see the light of day.