Tanya held onto Katherine fiercely, her tears streaking down her face.
"I'm going to miss you so much!" Her friend cried, hugging her just as tight.
"I know," Tanya murmured. "I'm going to miss you, too. But I'm going to come visit you in D.C. soon," she promised.
"You better," Kat said. "I'm going to hold you to it."
She sighed. "We're going to talk all the time, right Kat?"
Katherine nodded as they slowly pulled away, grabbing onto her hand. "Listen to me," she said quietly. "I am so proud of you for what you're doing. And I want you to have everything you've ever wanted."
A fresh wave of tears spilled over and she squeezed her friend's hand just as Adam and Rocky came right up to them, throwing their arms around the pair in a group hug.
The girls giggled, eagerly welcoming their friends' embrace and holding onto them for a moment.
"You'd better go, or you'll miss your flight," Rocky said gently.
Kat nodded, sniffling slightly. "I love you guys. So much." She smiled bravely, placing Tanya's hand in Adam's. "Take care of each other," she said softly.
"We will," Adam said as they all waved goodbye.
They stayed near the window in their terminal at the airport, watching until Kat's plane was in the air.
"Hey, you going to be okay?" Rocky asked, placing a firm hand on Tanya's shoulder.
She nodded. "Yeah. It won't be like last time. We're all going to stay together."
"Good," he grinned. "Speaking of that…. I want you guys to come with me."
Adam turned his head to him with a quizzical expression on his face. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see," Rocky said.
Adam climbed into Tanya's rental car and they followed Rocky's blue cruiser through town, along the lake and to the border of Angel Grove Park.
Tanya raised an eyebrow to Adam when they pulled over on the side of the road, but Adam just shrugged. "Who knows."
Rocky motioned for them to follow him. "It's just on the other side of the park here," he murmured.
"What is?" Tanya wondered loudly. "Rocky, where are we going?"
"There," Rocky said proudly, gesturing with an open hand to a large apartment complex. He entered the building, pressing a button on the elevator and ushering them inside. "I hope you didn't sign your lease yet," he said to Adam as they walked down a short hall.
He turned a key, opened a door and yanked both of them by their wrists, pulling them into a space. "Three bedroom loft, overlooks the lake. Utilities included. About a five minute drive to our dojo and anywhere else in the city you want to go."
Tanya's jaw dropped open as she took in their surroundings.
Adam ran to the window, gazing out at the lake. "It's a way better view than where I was planning on moving," he said softly. "How did you find this place?"
Rocky shrugged. "My lease is up in a couple months so I've been casually looking to see what else is out there. My uncle told me about this place and it seemed worth checking out. I can't do it without roommates, though."
Adam nodded. "This is unbelievable. I'm in, for sure."
"Sweet!" Rocky clapped his hands, turning to Tanya, who was still staring wide-eyed up the staircase with her hands over her mouth.
Adam walked up to her, placing a gentle hand at the small of her back. "What do you think, Tanya?"
"I think it's perfect," she whispered.
"Is that a yes?" Rocky asked.
She turned to him, her expression soft. "Can I have the bedroom behind the stairs?"
"Yes, yes, of course!" Rocky exclaimed. "You can have anything you want, just say yes!"
She nodded. "Yes," she said quietly.
The boys ran over to her and hugged her so hard they almost knocked her over. She laughed, closing her eyes as she hugged back just as hard. "This is amazing," she said. "Rocky, I don't know how to thank you."
He shook his head. "The only thing that matters is we're all together."
"Thank you." She kissed him lightly on his cheek.
Adam ran swiftly up the stairs to check out the loft area. "I get the bedroom up here!" He called.
Rocky laughed. "Sweet! That means I get the master bedroom."
Tanya slowly climbed the stairs, gazing at every inch of the place as she went. She stopped in Adam's doorway, taking in the excitement in his eyes and that boyish smile that tugged at her heart every time.
"Think the walls are big enough for all the posters in my old room?" He asked, cocking his head to one side in a gesture that made her heart melt.
She nodded. "And your trophies will look great in the corner over there," she said, smiling happily.
He walked over to her, wrapping her up in his arms. "I told you it would all be okay," he murmured, placing a soft kiss against her hair.
She leaned into him, holding him tight. "And you were right," she said, still smiling. "You always are."
He moved his hand up her arm to her face, gently tilting her head back and kissing her lips.
"Hey! We gotta get some rules going about hanky panky in our place!" Rocky called up the stairs, his eyes twinkling.
Adam laughed. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
She nodded, laughing as Rocky charged up the stairs and tackled them both in another bear hug. "Yes," she breathed. "I'm sure."
Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who has read, liked, favorited or commented! This is the end of this story, but check back soon for a sequel I'm working on. It's called Road Trip. Adam goes to Nashville to bring Tanya back home to Angel Grove!