To My Sister, My Cousin, My Friend

***Disclaimer: I got this idea from Pinterest, an exercise where you write a 20 word sentence, then a 19 word sentence, and so on, ending the story with one word.***

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Do you remember muffling the AOL dial up with a pillow at Nana’s to play late night online games together?

Or the summer we spent playing Animal Crossing on the GameCube nonstop, or the late night Sonic Heroes sessions?

All the times people regretted taking us out in public together because we used to act like fools?

Laughing at our deliriously dumb hand puppet shows and getting scolded for waking up the whole house? 

Night swims where we made waves, played shipwreck, and pretended to survive on a deserted island?

When we played store in my cluttered bedroom wearing Moon Shoes, not expecting imminent disaster?

Dying laughing when we made calendars and I kept starting each month on Sunday?

Stargazing on the trampoline one night and creating the annual journal swap tradition?  

The day of the four-wheeler wreck and how I couldn’t lie? 

Passing notes between classes when we were in high school together?

Always being joined at the hip and being best friends? 

Not just a cousin, but also a big sister. 

And now we’re grown and we’re far apart.

And I miss the good old days. 

When we were young and carefree.

Fighting over the blue cup.

I’m still really grateful.

For my friend. 

My cousin.

Sister.

THE END