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Lita sat on the sand, colorful towels scattered around her. She closed her eyes, pulling her knees close to her chest, and let the sun warm her skin while the gentle breeze rustled her hair and brushed against her cheeks. The distant sound of seagulls squawking and the occasional burst of laughter from nearby groups made her smile; she felt a rare sense of tranquility.

Her peaceful moment was interrupted when something hard hit her arm. She blinked her eyes open, searching for the source of the disturbance. Rubbing her arm, she saw a soccer ball rolling away from where it had struck her.

"Sorry about that!" a voice called out. Lita squinted against the sun and saw a blonde boy jogging toward her, his tousled hair catching the light as he moved.

He approached her, looking slightly sheepish and scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry again. I'm not the best at soccer."

Lita smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "It's alright. Just try to be a bit more careful next time."

The boy's face brightened into a genuine smile. "Thanks. I'm Luka, by the way."

"Lita," she replied, her smile widening. Luka gave a friendly nod, his eyes reflecting a mix of relief and embarrassment. He glanced back at his friends, who were waving him over with exaggerated gestures.

"Well, I'll see you around?" Luka said, taking a step back. Lita shrugged, knowing she'd be leaving the beach soon. Luka flashed her one more smile before trotting back to his friends.

"Who was that?" Seth's voice suddenly appeared beside her, making Lita jump and drop her shell-covered beach bag.

"You scared me!" Lita exclaimed, giving him a playful slap on the arm. Seth chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "Sorry about that."

"That was Luka. He accidentally kicked his ball at me," Lita said, shaking her head and returning her gaze to the ocean, where Embry was valiantly trying to dodge the splashes Jacob and Quil were directing at him.

"Accidentally, huh? I know Luka. He's on the soccer team at Forks High. He completely destroyed Embry's team, I think Embry even cried about it," Seth said, glancing back at Luka and his friends, who were now passing the ball with impressive precision.

Lita's brow raised in curiosity, and she looked back at Luka's group. Luka caught her eye, gave a quick, friendly smile, and then turned his attention back to his friends. Lita's smile lingered as she turned back to Seth.

"What?" she asked, noticing his amused grin.

"Nothing, just thinking," Seth said, still grinning. Lita nudged him with her elbow.

"Alright, stop grinning. Let's go for a swim," she said, standing up and brushing the sand off her legs.

"Race you to the water?" Seth challenged, his eyes sparkling with playful competitiveness. Lita laughed, her earlier calm replaced with a burst of energy as they sprinted toward the crashing waves.

"I'm just so glad you could all make it!" Sue, Seth's mother, said warmly as she welcomed their group into the bustling home. The living room was filled with chatter and the scent of delicious food. "Mom, you promised Tao and his little gang wouldn't touch my PlayStation," Seth grumbled, pointing at the couch where a group of younger kids were engrossed in a game on the console Lita had seen on her first day in Forks.

"Oh, hush. Go grab some food before it's all gone," Sue said with a laugh, giving Jacob a friendly pat on the shoulder. Jacob grinned in response.

"Oh, and Lita, dear, I've got something for you," Sue said, noticing Lita standing nearby. Lita followed her to the dining table, which was currently empty except for a small gift bag resting on it. Sue picked it up and held it out to Lita. "The boys told me you're leaving tomorrow and wanted to make you something. They were a bit shy and asked me to give it to you for them," she explained.

Lita glanced over at the group, who were watching her with expectant faces. She chuckled softly as they quickly looked away, pretending not to be watching. "Thank you, Mrs. Clearwater," she said, accepting the bag with a gentle smile. "Your son has been such a great friend..." she added.

Sue's face lit up, and she pulled Lita into a warm hug. "Oh, you're so sweet. I'm so sorry about what happened with your mother. I was there when she said those awful things, and I should have said something. I'm truly sorry, sweetheart." She held Lita close for a moment before releasing her.

Lita shook her head, her smile dimming slightly as she recalled her mother's harsh words. "No, it's really okay. I don't blame anyone but her."

Sue's expression turned serious. "It wasn't okay. No one should have to endure that, and you should know that you're always welcome here if you ever want to visit. And besides, I'm sure Seth will miss you a lot."

Lita managed a small smile, blinking away the tears that had started to well up. "Thank you," she said softly. Sue gave her one last quick hug before stepping back, letting Lita collect her thoughts.

Lita wiped her eyes quickly, determined not to let her tears fall. She clutched the gift bag tightly and walked back to the group, who gave her sheepish looks. "You guys are the worst," she said, sniffling. They laughed and immediately pulled her into a group hug, which made her smile despite the tears.

As they let her go, the group headed to the dining table to grab their plates, but Jacob stayed behind.

"You hungry?" Jacob asked, holding out a plate of food. "Got you one."

Lita smiled gratefully as she accepted the plate. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

Jacob shrugged. "No problem."

"No, I mean for everything," Lita continued, her eyes full of appreciation. "You've been an amazing friend. I really mean it."

Jacob's expression softened. "We're just glad to have you around."

"You guys are too nice to me," she said, and before Jacob could respond, the doorbell rang. Sue hurried off mid-conversation with her guests to open the door.

Sam, Jared, and Paul stood at the entrance, Jared carrying some sort of tray. Sue greeted them cheerfully, quickly inviting them inside.

"Great..." Jacob muttered as he headed over to the table where Embry, Seth, and Quil sat, exchanging knowing looks.

The trio stared down Embry as Sam, Jared, and Paul walked in, before retreating into the kitchen. Lita quickly joined them at the table. "They just love to stare, don't they?" Embry muttered, his mood visibly soured.

"Maybe they weren't looking at you, Em," Seth said, munching on his food.

"Yeah right, they were one hundred percent looking at Embry," Quil added, making Embry sigh. "Gee, thanks for making me feel better, Quil."

"Just ignore them," Jacob muttered.

"So, uh, do you like your present?" Seth asked, turning to Lita.

"I haven't opened it yet... and unless you guys want me to cry again, I'll open it later." The group nodded understandingly.

"Well, we wrote you a letter too," Quil said with a smile.

"We wanted to be fancy," Embry added, his face turning slightly red with embarrassment.

Lita laughed and shook her head. "I'm sure it's great." She glanced around, noticing Paul's eyes on her. He gave her a small smile, and she quickly excused herself. "I'll be right back."

"Hi..." Lita said, exhaling softly as she approached Paul, who was leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Hey... So, you're leaving tomorrow, huh?" Paul asked.

Lita nodded, looking down. "Yeah... guess my time in Forks is up."

Paul shrugged. "You can always visit."

Lita chuckled. "Yeah, when I win the lottery, this'll be the first place I come."

Paul laughed too, shaking his head. "Really though, I'm sure your mom will want you back."

"After everything? I doubt it. I'll be lucky if I even get a phone call," she replied.

"Well, you'll be missed," Paul said, a tight-lipped smile on his face.

"I'll miss Forks... I'll miss everyone," Lita said, her voice softer.

"I bet they'll be bored without you," Paul teased.

Lita chuckled. "Yeah, right. They're the ones keeping me entertained."

"I doubt that—" Paul started, but before he could finish, a voice interrupted.

"Lita! There you are!" Lita's Aunt Lena approached with a bright smile and a man at her side.

"Mi sobrina! I've been calling your mother nonstop, but she wouldn't answer," Lena said, hurrying over.

"I'm sure she's very busy," Lita trailed off awkwardly. She glanced at Paul, who gave her an awkward smile. "Oh, um, Lena, this is Paul. My... friend," she said, offering a soft smile.

Paul gave Lita a meaningful look. "I'll leave you two to talk. I'll text you, okay? We've gotta keep in touch when you're gone."

Lita felt her cheeks flush. She nodded. Paul gave her one last smile before walking away without another word.

"Where have you been?" Lita asked her aunt, trying to shake the lingering feeling from her conversation with Paul.

Her aunt smirked. "Your mother's not the only one who likes a man in uniform." She gestured to the blond man talking to Harry Clearwater, Seth's father.

"Oh... um, nice?" Lita said, her awkwardness apparent.

Lena rolled her eyes playfully. "I know what you're thinking, but I had to find something to keep me entertained in this boring town."

Lita laughed, shaking her head.

"But enough about me. How have you been? I'm sure you're just as ready to go home as I am. This place is nothing compared to back home."

"I just want to see my dad and Mateo," Lita replied with a shrug.

"Well, if you need anything, let me know, okay? Here, let me give you my number." Lita handed over her phone, and her aunt entered her digits.

"I love you, you know? If your mother gives you any trouble, just call me," Lena said with a kind smile.

"I will. Thank you," Lita said, genuinely touched.

"And don't forget to tell your little brother that his aunt wants to get to know him. I'll have to fly you both out to Mexico sometime."

"That'd be great," Lita replied with a smile.

Her aunt gave her one last affectionate look before pulling her into a tight hug. Then she headed back to the man who had accompanied her.

As Lita watched her aunt walk away, she took a deep breath and returned to the group. The mood had shifted slightly as her absence had been noticed. Jacob, Seth, Quil, and Embry sat waiting, plates mostly finished, but the conversation had quieted.

"There you are," Jacob said as she sat down. "Thought you might've run off for good."

Lita smiled weakly, trying to hide the sadness creeping into her chest. "Not yet."

"Yeah, don't think you can leave without finishing this." Quil pointed at the unopened present beside her. "And the letter. Fancy and all."

Seth grinned. "We might've gone overboard, but we're only doing it because we don't want you to forget us."

"Like that's possible," Lita said softly, glancing at them, her heart tightening. She took a deep breath and ran her fingers over the present.

Opening it slowly, she found a small charm bracelet, each charm representing something personal—a moon for Seth, a wolf for Embry, a shark for Quil, and a star for Jacob.

Quil pointed at the shark charm with a grin. "Proof that I can, in fact, knock out a shark."

She blinked back the sudden rush of emotion. "You guys..."

"We're gonna miss you, Lita," Embry said quietly, the usual sarcasm in his voice absent.

"Yeah, things are gonna be different without you around," Seth added, smiling, though his eyes showed a trace of sadness.

"Don't go soft on me now," Lita teased, trying to break the tension.

"Too late," Quil said, laughing, but there was a hint of something else beneath his words.

They shared a moment of quiet, just sitting together, as if nobody wanted to break the spell.

Jacob spoke up, breaking the silence. "You know you can always come back. Anytime. Forks isn't going anywhere."

Lita nodded. "I know."

She glanced at each of them, her heart heavy, but grateful. These people, this place—it had become more than just a stop on her journey. It had become a part of her.

"Well," Jacob said, standing up, "I think it's time we get some dessert. Gotta send you off with a sugar high, right?"

Lita laughed, feeling the weight lift slightly as the others followed Jacob's lead, heading into the kitchen to raid Sue's dessert table.

As they busied themselves with pie and laughter, Lita stood for a moment, taking it all in—this place, these faces, this feeling of belonging.

It might be her last night in Forks, but in a way, it felt like a beginning.

With that, she joined them at the counter, letting the warmth of their company fill the space between the looming goodbyes.