Dear Alex,

I can't begin to tell you how thankful I am to have met your brother. Because of him, I now have a whole new family who loves me just as much as my own does. As an only child, I never knew what it was like to have a real sister until I met you. I can remember meeting you, and your whole family for the first time, and Ryan can tell you that I was so scared. I wanted so badly for you all to like me, which made me so nervous when I came to New Jersey to meet you. Shortly after that, and a few more visits, we became close, and that means so much to me, I'm just hoping one day I will be able to thank you enough, so I guess I can start today.

Thank you for not treating me like his girlfriend.

I'm so glad you didn't just see me as Ryan's girlfriend, that you gave me a chance at being your friend too. Some girls I know never talk or act themselves around their boyfriend's family, which is just crazy. But for me, I had the chance to be myself around you, which made it easier to open up to your family.

Thank you for loving him as much as you do.

Even though he might not always say it, I know he loves you a lot, after all, you are his baby sister. You two together are goofy and crazy, but you show me what it's like to have a sibling, and what I really missed out on as a kid. I'm excited for the future we will all have together, and I hope that my kids have the kind of bond that you and your brother share. I'm also so excited for that beach house in LBI, so marry rich.

Thank you for being my friend.

Honestly, I consider you as my friend first, and then Ryan's sister. We Snapchat every day, FaceTime, and text; which is more than I can say for some of my other friends. We're always happy to see each other and are constantly making plans to do things when we are apart. It makes me so happy that I have such a great connection with you, which is more important to me than you can imagine.

Thank you for including me in your life.

No matter what's going on with you at school, or just at home in general, you usually let me know. You ask me for advice and you tell me a lot, which means that you trust me. I love hearing about Gino, and school, and anything else that goes on in your life, mainly so I can tell your brother what he needs to know so he can stay in the loop too.

And lastly, thank you for being my sister.

Although you are technically Ryan's sister, I consider you to be one of my own. I can tell you anything, ask you for advice, and even borrow some of your clothes when none of mine seem to work for me. Even though I've only known you for a short time, I know that I can't wait for our relationship to get even stronger.

Yeah, this is a little cheesy, but so are most of the things that I write, and that's just me in general, which I'm sure you're used to by now. I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you or your family enough for taking me in and treating me like one of them. Just know that you all mean the world to me, just like you mean the world to Ryan. I can't wait to see you in a few weeks and I can't wait to come to New Jersey in November to pick apples and take cute pics together. I love you.

Love,

Emily