Tanya Tucker Regrets Not Spending More Time With Dolly Parton: "I Could Hardly Find Any Pictures of Us Together"

Tanya Tucker is still processing the loss of her friend Dolly Parton, who died August 25 at age 80 - and she's carrying one regret that won't let go.

"I can't get my head wrapped around it. I just can't imagine her lying in the ground," Tucker, 67, told PEOPLE. "It's overwhelming, really."

Looking back, Tucker admitted she wishes she had leaned into their friendship more while she had the chance. She said she didn't take the opportunities she could have to really get to know Dolly better - sharing dinners, sleepovers, simple time together. Searching for old photos afterward, she found there were barely any of the two of them together.

One memory Tucker does treasure came from recording their 1994 duet "Romeo." Nervous about her voice going into the session, she called Dolly for reassurance. Dolly's response was simple - come on by, and if it didn't work, they just wouldn't use it. Tucker brought her six-year-old daughter Presley along, and while Tucker recorded, Dolly stepped away to babysit.

Tucker also recalled the last words Dolly ever said to her, exchanged backstage at the 2019 CMA Awards when Tucker wasn't feeling well: to make the most of the time she had. It's a line that reads differently now - a quiet nudge toward gratitude that Tucker says she's still holding onto.

Their friendship, built across decades in an industry that doesn't always leave room for closeness, is a reminder of something simple: the people we love are worth showing up for while we still can.