As I mentioned, I’m going to write a couple of these about the important people in my life and link to them in the About section.
Emiley, Kyle and baby Carter
It’s hard to find people who will love you no matter what, and I am lucky enough to have several. Ryan may sometimes be the closest, but that definitely does not discount the others who have always been there for me.
Emiley and I met the first or second day of school in 9th grade World History. We had a teacher with a propensity for giving good grades to students who brought her food and making microwave popcorn during our class (and usually burning it). We passed notes throughout most of that class (I found some of them recently, they’re about typical things like boys and how boring our classes were), and we probably only passed the class because when asked to do projects we incorporated food. History that semester and gym the next were the only classes we had together, because of the way our school worked she was technically in another program, so we kept up with each other by instant messaging, dropping notes in each others’ locker, eating lunch together (if we had the same lunch period) and lots of emails. I can only ever actually calling her once in high school. We were in some stupid fight (that I don’t think either of us remember the root of), but I still called her when my then-boyfriend and I a complete blow-out fight. I said “It’s me, I’ll be at your house in 20 minutes” and she said “I’ll be outside”, and then we drove to the beach and I cried to her about my boyfriend being a complete jerkwad. There were also many nights spent buying bubbles at Walmart, going to Homecoming dances & a few football games, and daydreaming about life after high school and college.
We were there for each other through several boyfriends, especially during a break up, whatever our opinion was of the guy that broke the other’s heart. When Robert and I got back together in college everyone thought I was insane. A masochist; didn’t I remember how badly he hurt me the first time? It caused a fallout or two with some friends, but Emiley gave him a chance. She was cautious because she’d seen what it did to me in high school (it was ugly), but she was willing to forgive him, just like she was willing to get to know him in high school. And while it took more than bonding over Garth Brook’s In Pieces cd while driving around at the beach that time, she did give him that chance. A few years later I was a bridesmaid in her wedding, and she was a bridesmaid in our wedding.
Em & her husband Kyle at Robert’s and my rehearsal dinner
We got married & bought houses a few months apart (and our houses are two minutes from each other) but our lives keep us so busy we hardly see each other. Recently we are in a terrible “we’ll get together soon” loop with absolutely no time to actually get together. It isn’t that we couldn’t be there for each other at the drop of a hat, it’s just that she knows that if she needs me I’m here, and if I need her she’s there. From my end it is only out of respect for the fact that she has a 7 month old son that I don’t call her at 2am when Robert is out of town and Freckles won’t stop faking me out that there is someone outside (BTW- hi Ryan). She knows who to call when their fridge dies and they need a truck to bring the new one home, and I know who to call if my car won’t start and I need a ride to work.
Whenever we do see each other we pick up right where we left off. We might miss out on some of the everyday things, but we make sure to hit all the important milestones in each other’s life. I was there for her on her wedding day, and she was there for me on mine. We helped each other move, and painted each others’ houses (and I still have her paint brush from when she helped paint the library, dining room and living room in one day- oops). I made the invitation for her baby shower, went matternity shopping with her, bought Carter way too many Baby Gap clothes & FSU socks, and manned the present table at her shower. Robert and I were there the night Carter was born, and I know she’ll be there for me when I’m pregnant and freaking the hell out during labor. I will always been “Aunt Catie” to Carter (and Robert will be “Crazy Uncle Bob”- as in “go ask your Crazy Uncle Bob why jumping your dirt bike off the shed is a bad idea”), and Carter will be the big brother to my future kids.
Occasionally I leave green ceramic elephants, giant tubs of animal “cookies” (long story) or birthday cards (when I’m sick and don’t want to get the baby sick) on her doorstep. I frequently use her line “I try to be as hilarious as possible at all times” and she doesn’t call me out on it. Somewhere down the line our favorite colors went from blue (me) and yellow (her) to green, but there is a distinct “Emiley” green and a “Catie” green.
In short, Emiley is sweet, loyal, funny (ok, hilarious), creative and stubborn. She’s the happy-go-lucky to my cynical and sarcastic. She is the firey, passionate and protective redhead everyone needs in their life (she may not cuss you up and down like I would, but you will feel about an inch tall when she’s done). She definitely gives Ryan a run for his money as the person with the biggest heart that I have ever met (let’s just say there is a reason she and Kyle have four dogs and a tank full of fish). We have tried to run each other off with stupid fights, but after ten years it’s pretty much been established that we’re not going anywhere. There is no doubt in my mind that Emiley will always come through for me when I call and say “you. me. gelato. Kleenex. beach. now.”, and she knows I would do the same for her. She has long since surpassed the role of friend, she is family.
PS- I accidentally left my birthday card that Carter made me at your house. Copper didn’t eat it, did he? I need to frame that.
Hernando House 
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