Chapter 58: The Last Night in Cortis

On their final night before packing the pickup truck for the major drive down to the state capital, they drove up to Lookout Ridge one last time. The night stars overhead were brilliant and crystal clear, casting a silver illumination across the truck hood where everything had changed. They sat in comfortable, profound silence, their shoulders touching and their hands locked tightly together, feeling the bittersweet weight of leaving home balanced entirely by the electric excitement of what lay ahead.