Walking across the white carpet to my bureau, the picture next to my alarm catches my attention. I reach for it and study it for a few minutes. Taken at my uncle’s wedding, I remember the exact moment: Jesse and I sat at the table and Steph was walking by, and stopped for someone to snap the picture. That’s how it usually was: Jesse and I together and Steph off doing her thing.

Time is a strange thing. I notice how much has changed since it was taken, not so much the physical, but more the way things are. As I see my brother’s mischievous smile, tears fill my eyes. The loss of a best friend still hurts, and I feel the emptiness without him and miss the laughter that has been replaced with silence.

A sickening feeling of regret fills me. Regret for the things I never got to say, the good-bye I never got to give. There just wasn’t time. That’s the way life seems to go - never enough time. As tears roll down my cheeks, I look at my sister in the picture and smile.

The coldness in my heart subsides and I think about all the wonderful things my sister does for me, all the fun times and laughs we’ve had. I’ve always loved her, but I was always closer to Jesse than Stephanie, probably because of the age difference. I never really had a relationship with her when I was young, that is, not until we lost our brother, and it was just us. Many say that things happen for a reason, and no matter how much I miss him, I’m thankful for the best friend I have gained since losing him.

Without my brother, I saw my sister for who she really is: truly a great person, loyal and strong, kind and caring, and everything a girl could want for a sister. She is my best friend and I will never miss the chance to tell her how much I love her, because I know how quickly life can change. I know no matter what I do or how badly I mess up, my sister will always be there for me. And I will be there for her. Although we bicker and it seems that others get between us, no one can ever compare to my sister.

I put down the picture, and turn to leave the room, looking for my sister, my best friend.