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How does the meaning of Bay & Emmett's love story change, if they don't end up together?

If Bay & Emmett do end up together, to me, it says:

• first love is the most important love
• first love is the one that lasts, the one that matters, the one that a person always comes back to
• even if your stars happen to be crossed, you can eventually overcome that, if you don't give up
• some connections are too powerful to let go of, even if you try
• the only ending that matters is the Hollywood ending, and even if two characters' stars are truly crossed, viewers must see that happily-ever-after ending; no other ending to a love story is acceptable
• with love, any and every obstacle may be overcome, including the absence of a common culture, emotional strife, personal insecurities, cheating, mistrust, youthfulness, long distance, outside forces and distractions, jealousies, mistakes, and abandonment in especially vulnerable times (whew!)
• love offers second chances, third chances, fourth chances, etc., in fact, the number of chances with love are never-ending
• love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things

If Bay & Emmett do not get back together, to me, it says:

• a love that comes after first love may be important, too; life does exist after first love
• your first love does not have to be the love of your life; a subsequent love may be the one that matters most, the one you choose in the end
• sometimes stars are crossed in life, and it is okay to accept that and move on
• it is possible to let go of love and move on
• something more than a happily-ever-after ending may exist for us, even in Hollywood; a satisfying conclusion is not dependent on finding our soulmate, but instead, on finding ourselves
• sometimes life throws obstacles that are too many (or too serious) for the relationship to overcome, but the individual, and his or her love for the other, can persevere, even if the relationship does not survive
• our number of chances with love may be never-ending, but life is short, and our emphasis should be on living happily in the moment (pursuing work that is meaningful and that resonates with our beings and spending time with family and friends), not on waiting to live happily ever after, in order to feel fulfilled
• love may not fail, but sometimes, we fail at love, and that's okay

Which set of messages do people like best?

Now that I've typed it all out, I find that I'm not sure yet. I need to give it some more thought.

I saw this blog post, and it reminds me of Bay and Emmett:

True Love Does Fail And That's Okay | The Odyssey

I can guarantee you that what I experienced was love. When they say, "You'll know when you know," they were not kidding. And I don't mean "know" as in "We've been together for four months and I really care about this dude." No, I mean: "This is the man I know I want to spend the rest of my life with because of the way he eats his Hot Pockets and the way he treats his little sister." I knew the moment he told me he was joining the Army so his little sister didn't have to worry for her safety. I still know because it's been a year since our break up and, although I have no intentions of ever getting back together with him, I still love him.

Just because you love someone at one point in time, does not mean you will want to be with them for the rest of your life, forever and ever. People change. That's the sad reality of life. Sometimes the one guy you thought was going to be your rock forever turns into a closed off individual that doesn't really care what you have going on in your life. People change, but memories don't. So just because you love someone now, does not mean you will love the person they are in 20 years. It just means that in 20 years, you will love the person he was when you were together.

But that same blog post also says this:

I really feel for the people that have never been lucky enough to experience a failed love. Although it is a kind of pain that I hope I never have to experience again, it's so good to experience it one time. I learned so much from my first love. I learned that my dreams should always come first. You shouldn't give someone so much of yourself because you'll be lost if they leave. You should always make time for your friends, even if you would rather spend more time with your significant other. Never change your life plans for someone. You know, just to name a few.

And I think all of that is ironic, because Bay didn't defer her dreams for Emmett.

Bay didn't give Emmett so much of herself that she was lost when he left. She missed him, but she was busy performing community service, finishing her art work for the Kansas City artists' showcase, going to a dorm party with Daphne. Bay never refrained from making time for her friends, during her second relationship with Emmett. Bay put herself and her friends before Emmett often.

Heck, Bay chose to go out to dinner with her ex-boyfriend and his dad, rather than celebrating Emmett's acceptance to Gallaudet. Bay chose to put her own happiness, and of course, Natalie & Hilary's happiness, ahead of Emmett's happiness at prom. Bay put Daphne's security, as she was heading to prison, ahead of Emmett's security, as he was heading to a hearing college far from home. Bay recognized (and stood up for) her need to save her sister, and she did not think twice about not including Emmett in that decision.

Bay did not even tell Emmett about her potential to develop aneurysms, and he specifically asked her several times what was bothering her. Bay was not losing herself to Emmett, in their second relationship, not at all.

In fact, that's my biggest complaint.

If the writers wanted to go this route with Bay and Emmett and have them not end the TV series as a couple, then I really needed to see Bay & Emmett go all out with lovey dovey scenes during their second relationship. I needed to see the passion. I needed to see Bay & Emmett lose themselves in each other, so I could understand their need to find themselves alone, later in life.

Instead, viewers were treated to a truly sucky second relationship, one that lacked intimacy and passion. Then, we received a heart-wrenchingly painful breakup, and now, we are left with a need to avoid the cliche happily-ever-after ending, but we never even got to see any happiness along the way.

Is real life void of happiness at every turn?

After four years, does the sum total of happiness Bay & Emmett received in life equal one cute planking scene, a meaningful moment after Cameron's surprise wedding, and rubbing noses at prom?

Is that it?

I would like to have seen some happiness for Bay & Emmett, before they parted ways. I'm sad the writers chose not to give us that in Season 3B.