Miley Cyrus has broken her silence on the death of her godmother, beloved country icon Dolly Parton.
In an emotional post on Instagram, the Flowers singer shared a black-and-white portrait of the star and stated that the pair's "sacred moments" will remain private.
"The feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly is beyond what feels right to share," the tribute opened. "Our most sacred moments were private, and they'll stay there behind the stage, beneath the glamour and between our hearts."
Cyrus did, however, recall one of their final conversations in a touching commemoration.
"What I know is Dolly would want me to feel it, write a song about it, and then continue on and be strong. I have an angel by my side. I always have. One of our last conversations was about music and metamorphosis.
"I will always love her and want to make her proud. My heart breaks for the world, her family and friends who will miss her deeply. We're in this loss together, and we will see her in all of the most beautiful things."
Cyrus' father, Billy Ray, worked with Parton on tour in 1992, and asked her to be godmother to his daughter, who was born that November.
"When she was born, he said, 'You just have to be her godmother,' and I said, 'I accept,'" Parton recalled during an appearance on Good Morning
America in 2009.
Since her birth, Cyrus and Parton have had a close bond, with Parton making three appearances on the Hannah Montana show between 2006 and 2010 as Aunt Dolly.
The Jolene hitmaker died earlier this week at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer.
According to TMZ, her funeral will be in Nashville, Tennessee, with "a small, private service for immediate family in the coming days".