Hey Bails,

You’re important to me, and I can tell by the way you talk to me that I’m important to you. I met you last year and for a while, you were just a co-worker to me. Just someone that I talked to at work about work. I’m three years younger than you, so I didn’t really expect us to be best friends, but there was something about you that was different than all the nineteen-year-olds that I already knew. You were approachable and available to talk to. I think that as the two of us worked together more, we opened up to each other. I started to break down my wall that I put up when I meet new people, and you started to become more comfortable with this random sixteen-year-old that you just met. When I met you, I could have never predicted that we would be as close as we are today. You aren’t just my best friend, Bailey, you’re one of the most important people in my life. You’re my rock.

This past summer was spent going to breakfast with you way too much. Between Little Lucy’s, Sundance, Anna’s House, IHOP, and wherever else we ventured together, I always had the absolute best time. I know you understand me, but I don’t think I would ever be able to explain how much those breakfast dates meant to me. We would sit there and just talk. Talk about boys, talk about Roadhouse, talk about our families, and talk about anything else in the world that there was to talk about. But breakfast dates weren’t it. You came over to my house immediately after a bad date I had with a boy and we just sat by the pool and laughed about it forever. I went to your house and we sat in your room and read what we each have written, directly out of our private journals. I don’t know about you, but that was as close to me as opening my heart to someone as I can get. Thanks for listening and appreciating what I wrote.

I wasn’t going to let you go to college, but ultimately, it wasn’t my decision. I’m proud of you for going to NMU, but I miss you every day. I didn’t think work would ever be the same without you there, and it isn’t, but strangely, it becomes easier every day because everyone just gets used to it. They get used to space on the schedule being adjusted because you left and they get used to the lack of silly voices and antics you took with you. I cry when my favorite people leave, it’s what I do, so we both know that when you left for school, I was not happy.

But nevertheless, you must continue on your journey, and I must keep my spirits high. I have to thank you because even though you’re a fancy college student now, you still talk to me when I have bad days (or good ones). You have probably given me some of the best advice I’ve received in my life. So, Bails, tell me, why do you even enjoy hanging out with me? I don’t go party at Brolan’s house with you, I’m three years younger than you, and you’re more mature than me. So what draws you to spending your mornings listening to me complain about my simple high school problems? Why do you continue to give me uncomparable advice? You boost me up when I am so incredibly down on myself, and for that, I am so grateful.

Thank you, Bailey. I couldn’t ask you for anything more than you have already given me. I’m counting the days until you come home again.