My cousin's getting married.

Tomorrow night Sean and I are flying to North Carolina for my cousin Brett's wedding. As an only child, Brett and her sister Chelsey are the closest people I have in my life to sisters. We talk as often as we can, visit each other any chance we get and celebrate small events and major milestones together. Even while living across the country from each other -- them in California and me in Massachusetts -- we're as close as ever. 

When I got married, Brett was right by my side as my maid of honor and I was so excited months ago when she invited me to be a bridesmaid at her destination wedding in North Carolina. Brett is a blogger and a DIYer -- so I can't wait to see all the details, big and small, that she has planned and I know it's going to be amazing. It's hard for me to accept that we're growing up (or are we grown up?) but I'm so happy that Brett has found Alex to spend the rest of her life with. 

When we were younger and she lived in Massachusetts, we would spend afternoons together after school. I loved the afternoons my mom and I would drive to their house and we'd play "house" or "school" or pretend we were singers or dancers or teachers or babies. Who knows? In the wintertime, we would hope school would be cancelled the night before so that I could stay the night -- sleepovers were always the best. 

When she moved to Connecticut, we would visit every weekend -- Friday to Sunday. It was rare that I didn't end up there or that she and her family didn't end up at my house. Years later, when she moved to California it got a little trickier but it still always worked out. We saw each other often, sometimes more than I saw family who lived nearby. It's just the way it was. 

Then, I lived with Brett in California for my senior year of high school. That time was even better than those wishful, snowy nights in the 90s when we prayed for no school the next day so that we could have a sleepover. 

Now, years later, as I think about us as adults and Brett as a wife I can't help but be jealous of Alex and of the fact that he gets to have a lifetime of sleepovers with one of the most amazing people that I know and love.