Page 48 of Like Cats and Dogs

Gene cleared his throat as he wiped down the bar one last time. “You guys about ready?”

“Absolutely.” Noah downed the last gulp of his beer and handed the bottle to Gene. The others followed suit and headed toward the front door. “Diego, where are you staying? I thought you said everything was already at Brody’s house, right?”

“Nolan and Harrison offered me a guest room at their place for the weekend.” Diego grinned as Nolan wrapped his arm around his brother, kissing his cheek as Noah protested. “I’m gonna miss you guys, you know that.” They reached the front door and donned their jackets, realizing that they wouldn’t be together like this for a while.

Chance slipped on a knit hat over his head as they stepped out into the parking lot, a chilly breeze making them all shiver. “As much as I enjoy meeting you guys all like this, I’m getting too old for these late nights. Noah, you said you had fun with Levi’s brothers on that fishing trip, right? Maybe we can rent a house on the coast one weekend in the spring and catch up with each other. Fishing, boating—”

“Laying on the beach? I’m game,” Nolan interrupted. “Oh, and Harrison and I had the best time in New Orleans this past summer. We have to go there, all of us.” They hugged each other tight. “No matter what, we’ll always stay friends. Right?”

“I haven’t been able to get rid of you yet.” Noah groaned as Nolan’s arms tightened around his neck. “Diego, you take care up there with your new family, okay?” Diego spotted a trace of brightness in Noah’s eyes that he quickly blinked away.

“Will do.” Diego’s voice was low and rough. “And you take care of yours.” As he looked one last time around the circle of his closest friends, one by one, they embraced and said their heartfelt goodbyes. There was sorrow with the smiles, but there was an underlying sense of peace knowing that no matter where life's paths led them, each had found their place in the world.

With a deep sigh, he hugged Chance and Noah goodbye, and followed Nolan to his car. As they drove toward Nolan and Harrison’s house, they passed their old neighborhood. Diego swallowed hard, emotion thick in his chest as he reflected on the past year. All the changes he had gone through, all the obstacles that he and his friends had overcome - it had been an incredible journey. “We had some good times here, didn’t we?”

Nolan chuckled as he drove. “The best of times, my brother. With you guys, it was always the best of times.”