I was seven and you were nine when we first met. Your parents had just moved to the house next door to mine and I thank God every day that you did because boy would my life be so much worse off now without you. Our parents became friends pretty fast and we'd have barbie q's every so often and I remember so clearly how they would all just talk whilst we sat in our own little world learning everything there was to know about each other.
If only I had known back then how important you were going to be to me now. Our parents knew. I remember our dad's laughing about how we were always "joined at the hip" and that we should just "get married already" because we would meet up pretty much every day and when we had to part ways I remember always being a little down for a while after because I always wanted to be around you. Remember how our mothers would just look at each other every time we were together and we always found it really weird. I guess it makes sense now.
Remember that tree outside our houses with the swing where we would spend all our time? And how you would pretend to be all badass and said you would "beet me up" because you were bigger than me and how you never did. I guess it doesn't matter now because look who became the taller one.
Remember that sleepover when we played truth or dare and I dared you to kiss me as a joke and you jumped up and chased me for it as I ran. I didn't think you would actually do it. Remember how you tackled me and we fell in this messy heap and giggled for ages.
Do you remember when I was 16 and you were 18 and you would always make fun of how grown up I was? It had been nine years and our dad's were still making those jokes but suddenly we weren't gagging at them. Whenever it was brought up how close we were and how we were just "meant to be" I remember you looking over at me and giving me this smile and giving me hand a squeeze as if you agreed. I also remember the way it made me feel. I felt as if maybe they were kind of right. But I was just some kid, I was never going to tell you. But you did.
I remember that night in the back of your truck where it was like 2am and we were laughing at something stupid and suddenly it got all quiet with your arm wrapped around my shoulder and my head resting under your chin. I looked up from my gaze on my feet with this goofy smile I had from laughing at something you had said and my smile faded. You had this serious look in your eye that has never really left me. I remember how you told me that you had loved me for a very long time, how you didn't even know it was love until a year before and how if you didn't tell me there and then you didn't think you could ever again. And something I will never forget is the feel of your lips on mine for the very first time. How it had felt so right and how I didn't want anyone else's lips on mine for the rest of my life.
I remember that time I saw you with Jesse and he was getting real cosy with you and just how jealous I got. That was the first time we had a fight and it was awful. I remember slamming my door in your face and how bad I felt immediately after but I couldn't open it again because I was just so mad. I remember feeling awful when I opened that door the next day on my way to say how sorry I was to you and found you on my porch asleep because you had stayed there all night.
And remember that day in our favourite spot in town beside the lake where you kneeled on one knee directly in front of me holding this beautiful diamond ring out just for me and saying "Chloe, will you marry me?" and the whole thing was just a little overwhelming. Of course I said yes and the wedding was amazing. The whole town came, our fathers and mothers laughed and cried as we exchanged our "I do's" and everything about it was just perfect.
And now we are here on that very same porch we met at all those years ago, each carrying a child we call our own and I honestly couldn't imagine a more beautiful scene as you press a kiss to my cheek and I feel a blush as if I were 16 again.
And I know that when I'm 87 and you're 89 I will still look at you like there's nothing else in the world and you'll do the same back to me and we'll sit on that swing together and watch as our kids grow just as we did and we'll know that we made it and everything will be perfect.