Dear shortie,

This letter has been one that my heart has been aching to write.

I’ve never been the type of person with a lot of friends. I was not the one in the big group photos or messages chatting about prom and coordinating big events trying to include everyone. I had a few good friends and that was it. I was thirteen years old when I met you and you changed my life. Your smile and sense of humor brought a joy to my heart. Your sense of style, the way you just knew things about makeup and music and life made me instantly jealous but in a way that I wanted to be just like you. You were a year younger and my total opposite.

A cheerleader, a singer and dancer, with more friends than you could count. For some reason, you chose to befriend me. As time when on you helped my confidence grow. Suddenly I was doing for you what you had always done for me. You had been a shoulder to cry on, an advice giver, a rant listener, shopping buddy, and so much more. It meant so much that we created a relationship that was not just one sided. As teenage girls do, we fought every now and then and some things were said that were hurtful. I remember one that cut me to the bone. But that’s not important. What is important is that apologies were said and we mended the fence and remained close.

It was not until I moved away that I realized how much I loved you. I ached to just be cuddled up with you on the couch watching the Kardashians for “trashy television Tuesday” and going out to drink and dance and laugh at Waffle House at 2 a.m.

There was a part of me that was missing and for a while that made me insanely sad.

But then one day when I came back to visit and everything just went right back to the way it was, it occurred to me, that piece isn’t missing. It’s always there. You’re always there. There will never come a time when you don’t occupy a space in my heart.

Now you have a husband, a baby and a home. And I have a husband, fur baby, and am building a life two and a half hours away. I thought that it would mean that things would change and be different. But no matter what, nothing will break the inseparable bond that we have.

I would say that I don’t mean love in the traditional sense but that wouldn’t be true. Barring any romantic intimacies, we have shared literally everything else with each other. I know everything about you and you know the same about me. We are so close we are practically joined at the hip even miles away. If you needed me, at the drop of a hat, I’d be there.

I fell in love with you ten years ago I just didn’t know it yet.

Two-woman-wolf-pack just because we don’t like anyone else.

Love you bear.