Page 29 of Friends are Forever (Teton Mountain #6)

M orning light slanted through the wide windows of Reva’s living room, illuminating the half-packed boxes stacked along the walls. The house, usually so full of life and laughter, felt strangely hollow, like a song winding to its final note.

Reva knelt by the couch, wrestling Lucan into his sneakers while he chattered nonstop about the adventure ahead.

“We’re gonna see Grandma’s big trees,’ he said, swinging his legs. “And pecans! And armadillos!”

Reva smiled as she tied his laces. “That’s right, baby. Lots of new things to see.”

Kellen appeared in the doorway, car keys in hand. “I’ll start loading the truck. Holler if you need me.”

She nodded, watching him disappear down the hall, the weight of the day pressing heavier on her chest.

Before she could gather her thoughts, a soft knock sounded at the door.

When she opened it, she found them—Capri, Charlie Grace, and Lila—standing on the porch, bundled against the morning chill, coffee cups in hand.

“Figured we wouldn’t let you get away without one last ambush,” Capri said, grinning.

Reva laughed, ushering them inside. “You didn’t have to come this early.”

Charlie Grace shrugged, her eyes suspiciously bright. “Yeah, we did.”

They wandered through the half-empty living room, pausing at boxes ready for the movers marked Kitchen , Books , Lucan’s Room .

“Feels weird seeing nearly everything packed up,” Lila said softly, trailing her fingers along the mantel where framed photos once stood.

Reva swallowed hard, the ache in her throat sharpening. “Yeah. Feels weird to me, too.”

Capri set down her coffee and crossed the room in three strides. She held out a brown paper bag, crumpled and lopsided.

“Found something at the store,” she said, a little sheepish. “Figured you might need it.”

Reva opened the bag and laughed—a bright red Thunder Mountain baseball cap stared up at her, embroidered with the words Mountain Tops Forever .

“You’re impossible,” Reva said, laughing through the tears she couldn’t blink away.

“Don’t forget us,” Capri said, her voice low.

“Never,” Reva promised.

They moved outside to the front yard, where the truck was already half-loaded. Boxes lined the truck bed, the essentials packed carefully among duffels and toys.

Lucan followed them out and sat cross-legged on the driveway, flipping through a picture book. Sweet boy. One of her reasons for going. Her reason for staying brave.

Reva leaned against the tailgate, arms crossed, breathing in the cool mountain air one last time.

Charlie Grace pulled a simple white envelope from her tote bag, her fingers fidgeting with the edge.

“I know I already gave you the photo album with all our photos, including the one of us as kids Lucan brought to the picnic,” she said, blushing a little. “But...I couldn’t resist giving you one more thing.”

Curious, Reva slid her finger under the flap and pulled out a slightly worn photograph.

It was their high school graduation picture—Reva, Capri, Charlie Grace, and Lila all grinning under a bright Wyoming sky, their caps crooked, their arms tangled around each other like they never intended to let go.

For a moment, Reva couldn’t speak. She ran her thumb lightly over the faded image, the weight of the years pressing soft and sweet against her chest—the memory of them getting ready for the graduation ceremony forming, causing her throat to squeeze even more with emotion.

Charlie Grace smiled. “Just in case you ever forget where you belong.”

Reva blinked hard and tucked the photo carefully back into the envelope. “Not a chance.”

They laughed, and for a heartbeat, it felt like everything was normal again.

Lila stepped forward next, her hands twisting nervously.

“I have something too,” she said, pressing a tiny box into Reva’s palm.

Inside was a delicate gold pendant—four hearts intertwined, gleaming in the morning light.

“The four of us remain,” Lila said, voice trembling. “No matter where life takes us. Forever friends.”

Reva closed her fingers around the necklace, holding it to her chest. Words failed her. Only the fierce thump of love remained.

“I don’t deserve y’all,” she whispered.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Capri said, fiercely. “We’re the fortunate ones. And you deserve everything good.”

They stood there, four women bound not by blood, but by choice, by years of laughter and tears, by fights and forgiveness and showing up—always showing up.

The time to leave crept closer.

Reva helped Kellen secure the final boxes they were taking in their vehicle—those items too precious to risk losing in the transport. Capri fastened the bungee cords. Charlie Grace snapped a few last photos—Lucan clambering into the backseat, Kellen adjusting the rearview mirror.

When there was nothing left to load, no more errands to distract her, Reva turned back to them.

This was it.

Capri stepped forward first, yanking Reva into a hug so fierce it nearly knocked the wind out of her.

“You better call when you get there,” Capri muttered into her shoulder. “I don’t care if it’s two a.m.”

“I will,” Reva promised.

Charlie Grace hugged her next, lingering for a long moment. “You taught me how to stand on my own two feet when it mattered most,” she whispered. “Now it’s our turn to stand steady for you.”

And finally Lila, who simply pressed her face against Reva’s shoulder and cried.

“I’m so proud of you,” she whispered. “So proud.”

Reva kissed the top of her head, holding her tight. “I’m proud of all of us.”

They pulled apart reluctantly, blinking fast against the tears that threatened to unravel everything.

Capri sniffed and jabbed a finger toward the road. “You’d better get moving before I tackle you back into the house.”

Reva laughed, climbing into the front passenger’s seat.

At the last minute, Charlie Grace pulled something from her pocket—a simple white envelope. She handed it to Reva through the window. “Open this when you get to Georgia and get settled.”

Reva tucked it carefully into her jacket pocket. “What is it?”

Charlie Grace grinned. “Emergency plan.” She paused. “Don’t ask details. Just open it later.” She leaned and brushed Reva’s cheek with a kiss, then stepped back.

Lucan waved wildly from the back. “Bye, Aunt Capri! Bye, Aunt Charlie! Bye, Aunt Lila!”

The three women waved back, shouting goodbyes, promises, and I-love-yous.

Kellen nodded his goodbye and started the engine. The truck rumbled to life, a sound so final it made Reva’s chest ache.

She gripped her purse, hesitating.

One last look.

Through the windshield, she saw them standing in the driveway—Capri with her fists on her hips, Charlie Grace dabbing her eyes, Lila blowing kisses.

These women were indeed forever friends.

As the truck rolled forward, Charlie Grace suddenly darted into the yard and grabbed a handful of wildflowers. She flung them into the air, petals spinning like confetti against the rising sun.

Capri and Lila joined in, plucking handfuls and tossing them high, laughing and crying and waving wildly.

Petals rained down around them, bright against the gray gravel drive, a living memory Reva would carry forever.

Tears blurred her vision as she rolled down the window and waved back, heart thudding with the weight of love and loss and gratitude so big it filled every corner of her soul.

The house shrank in the rearview mirror, and before long, the town slipped into the folds of the mountains.

But Reva knew, deep and certain, that she wasn’t leaving anything behind.

The best parts of Thunder Mountain—the laughter, the loyalty, the fierce, stubborn love—were stitched into her now, woven through every beat of her heart.

Wherever life took her next, she would never be alone.

Where roots run deep, the heart finds its way home.

Always.