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She rubbed my back. “So proud of you, my sweet girl.”

Emotion clotting my airways, I forced myself to step back and took her hand. “Come on, let me show you inside.”

We all shuffled toward my boutique’s door.

Trevan pushed off from where he leaned against the doorjamb and stepped out of the way.

Anticipation burned through me. A beautiful buzz in my veins. I couldn’t wait to show off the end result.

One step inside, I froze, and my jaw disengaged. Gaping when I saw the banner and balloons strung from the middle of the rafters.

Congratulations, Lena! May every dream you ever chased meet you right here.

The tears that had been burning broke free and slipped down my cheeks, surprise gusting from my lungs as I whipped my attention around.

“How did you…?”

I was just inside three minutes ago and that banner had definitely not been there.

Love poured out of Brinley. “You didn’t think I wasn’t going to at least get to surprise you a little, did you? Celebrate the girl who left me a note and made me feel welcome when I was terrified coming onto the Crimson Crows’ property? I’m pretty sure I owed you one of those messages.”

I choked over a laugh.

I couldn’t help thinking about how excited I’d been when she’d come to the compound, even though she’d thought herself some kind of prisoner.

“Well, of course not, you are the best bestie ever, but how did you manage this?”

Brody grinned and lifted his arms out to the sides. “We snuck it around the backside and put it up while Brinley kept you distracted.”

“You all are so sweet.” My voice creaked with the onslaught of affection.

“Obviously.” Brinley rolled her eyes, and I laughed, not even fighting the emotion as Meems squeezed my hand.

“It’s true, Elena,” Meems murmured. “We are so proud of you. In the face of every adversity and obstacle, through all the pain and the sorrow, you chose joy. In the days when you were young and I wanted to crumble and falter, it was your little smile that got me out of bed in the morning. The one that made me believe that through it, I could find joy on the other side, too. You are an inspiration to us all. I hope you know that.”

My spirit moaned with age-old grief. At the loss of my mother. At the loss of her daughter. The hole that had been left behind in all of us.

Her voice dipped with emphasis. “Your momma would be so proud of you. She is so proud of you. I know it. Can feel her right here with you just like she’s been all along.”

There was no stopping them. Hot tears poured down my cheeks.

“I’ve always felt her, and I know she was at peace because she knew that we had you to look after us. To love us and support us the way you did.”

Meems’ grayed eyes turned bleary, and she reached out and ran her thumb down my cheek. “It’s been my honor getting to raise you. An honor to be a part of raising you all.”

Then she slanted a grin and tossed it around at all of us. “And don’t think just because you’re all officially adults, I’m finished telling you like it is.”

Silas coughed over a laugh. “I’m almost thirty, and I have no delusions of that.”

“I’m never out of line, so no issue there. Basically perfect here.” Brody sent her his charming smirk.

An affectionate huff left her nose. “Biggest scoundrel of them all.”

There was no judgement to it. Just her soft, tender care.

“It’s five to four.” The low rumble hit me from behind.

Trevan giving me a gentle warning that it was almost time.