Two young girls were sitting side by side on a loveseat. The oldest was 10, the youngest was 7. The older little girl was nervous, the younger girl filled with excitement. The eldest girl silently wondering if things would change, the younger of the two, not having a care in the world. Of course things were about to change. How could they not? Their father looked at both of his little girls, sitting side by side on the old worn and torn loveseat. Proudly, their father laid Him in the eldest girls arms. “This is your new baby brother.”

Just like that, it was as if the Fairy Godmother herself was standing, watching, and sprinkled the moment with magical fairy dust. In that moment,everything changed, and change is never a bad thing. This is when The Bond was born.

It would be a few years later when the eldest girl understood that it was not the Fairy Godmother who sprinkled the moment with fairy dust as she was watching, it was her grandmother.

The girls were on the school bus. One was in 5th grade, one in 3rd. The older of the two hated that bus. It was crowded, loud, and she never had anyone to sit with. The younger of the two did. Everyone knew Her and everyone loved Her. One of Her friends was laughing at the way the eldest girl had Her hair. Her friend laughing, and pointing, and laughing again. In front of everyone. The older girl wanted to cry, the younger one shut it down and shut it down real fast. The 5th grader was both grateful and embarrassed.

He would always want to hang out in Her room. Maybe because Her room was away from everyone elses, maybe because She was the older one. They would hang out in Her room while listening to Bryan Adams’ “Everything I do.”

There was one time that She will never forget. Mainly because He traumatized Her for life. We were sitting outside waiting for Him to get off the school bus. He was little, maybe 2nd or 3rd grade. He comes walking up the long driveway, clearly having something in his hands, along with a mischievous grin on his face. She looked at me, “What does he have in his hands?” He comes walking up to Her. Backpack on his shoulders, his little hands cupped in front of him. Maybe he made me something in school is Her first thought? He reaches his destination, thrusts his hands in Her face, slowly uncovers his top hand, and there, staring back at her is the biggest and ugliest frog she ever saw. She screamed. He laughed. To this day, She is scared to death of frogs.

Wednesday nights, on the way to church. Depending on the time we would always stop at McDonald’s and eat in the car on the way to church. Both girls would fight on who would get to sit in the front seat. You see, front seat means you would get the bag fries from good ol McDonald’s. It got to the point where we had to take turns. Just Her and I. He did not care, always in the backseat fully content on whoever it was that he was sitting next to. One thing is for sure, those bag fries never had a fighting chance.

Over the years, the girls had a love/hate relationship. My God did they annoy each other….and anyone else who may have crossed their path. Yet, it was one of those things where the girls could be annoyed by each other, but heaven help you if you would speak badly about the other.

She was at Her wedding. She was the only one, other than the justice of the peace. They decided on the Courthouse, and no matter what, She knew She had to be there. Afterwards, She asked the judge if She could take a picture of Them, the three of Them. Husband, Wife, and Justice of the Peace. He agreed, She laughed, and to this day, she has that picture in her wedding album.

When Her marriage was falling apart, She was there. Together, both girls would drive around Colonial Heights, trying to find Her husband. Trying to fix something that was not fixable. She knew it, but She was still there. The Bond.

When The Accident happened, The Girls spoke every single day on the phone. Even if it was just “Are you okay?” “No, I am not.” “But you will be.” “Talk to you tomorrow.”

When He “came out”, both girls already knew…and often wondered how come no one else did. They prided themselves on how they observant they were.

When Her baby was born with a deformity, She was there. It did not even matter that She was clear across the country. East Coast/West Coast. It was the same as it had always been. Geography has nothing on The Girls….on The Bond.

When he decided to join the Navy, The Girls shed tears. Both privately and publicly. Both proud and scared.

The Girls, talk daily. Every single day, sometimes numerous times. Their husbands may think they are crazy, The Girls do not care. They have a Bond, something more than a Bond. They know when something is wrong with the other. They just know, “I need to call Her, something is not right.”

This is a Bond that can never be broken. Never. The Bond started back when He was laid in Her arms…..and the Bond continues some 32 years later.

No matter where Their paths may take Them in life….the one the thing that will never be broken, is Them. The Three of Them. Childhood memories, trials and tribulations of life……everything as a whole is what makes Them Them…The Bond.

Driving in the car…..Blue Oyster Cult…..The Girls would try their hardest to belt it out….and now……just give them a mic and they will karaoke for you.

Jury is still out on how good they sound.