My sister is, in so many ways, a reflection of me, and in others, my exact opposite. But when we come together, it feels like a piece of me clicks back into place. We finish each other’s sentences and often end up speaking in unison, which never fails to completely unnerve her husband. We always end up laughing harder with each other than with anyone else we know. We can sit in total silence and still feel completely connected, and we can talk for hours without running out of things to say. We sing old Justin Bieber songs like it’s a shared language from another life, and we can just as easily break into tears over something small and ridiculous. She encourages me in a way that never feels forced, never judges me, and always shows up with love that is steady and unconditional. She is deeply compassionate- she feels things fully, loves people fiercely, and has an openness that makes everyone around her feel safe. She trusted me enough to let me stand beside her in her wedding and to be in the room when my nephew was born, two moments I will never forget. We haven’t always been easy on each other. In fact, no one can push her buttons quite like I can. But even through that, she has always loved me. Brandon may be my soon-to-be husband, but Bailey will always be my other half.

Fatima is the friend who has been there for every version of me and the person all my other friends end up knowing. No person in my adult life has gone more than a week without learning about her. We talk every day, and she’s the one I can tell anything to without it ever feeling complicated. She just gets me, and I never have to filter myself with her. We weren’t friends when I transferred to Hotchkiss in 7th grade, but that all changed freshman year on one volleyball bus ride. Since then, through all the changes that come with growing up, she’s been there. From volleyball practice and state track to graduations we had to travel states away for to the day she Facetimed me with a pregnancy test on the counter, it has been an honor to be loved and known by this girl. She’s loyal, she cares deeply, and she shows up for the people in her life in a real way - never asking for anything in return. Watching her become a mom to her little boy has been really special. I’ve been lucky to be part of that journey with her. Fatima is family to me.

I met this beautiful human at Texas Tech freshman orientation in July 2018, and almost every core memory from college after that has Cassie right there in it. From the very beginning, bonding over FFA, to playing sand volleyball until the early morning hours, to becoming roommates, she has been a constant in every season of my life since. We’ve done it all together: our first frat parties, my 21st birthday, every Texas Tech football game, her wedding, all the breakups and makeups that got us here, and all the highs and lows that somehow felt lighter just because we had each other. I’ve had the privilege of watching her grow into the most incredible woman - getting her master's degree, welcoming her first baby, becoming a wife, and building such a beautiful life. She is funny, considerate, and intelligent. She was the first person outside of Hotchkiss who truly felt like home to me - and that’s something I’ll never take for granted. Cassie has always been the life of the party. She is undoubtably the prettiest girl in the room, inside and out.

Ally is one of those rare people who never felt like a stranger - not even for a second. She reached out to me after a single Zoom happy hour for admitted Texas A&M law students, and turned what started as a couple of forced ice breakers into a real, lasting friendship. We met in person just days before law school orientation. We stepped into the elevator on the first day and got hit with “Are you roommates?” or “How long have you known each other?” It felt like the answer was years but it had only been days. She’s my East Texas bestie - equal parts southern twang and total badass. Ally is as down-to-earth as they come, the kind of person who shows up, follows through, and never makes you question where you stand. We both ended up in family law, and there’s something comforting about having someone who truly gets it - the weight of what we do. We commiserate, we laugh, we vent. Some friendships take years to build. Ours didn’t need that. We just clicked - and now I can't imagine life without my Ally girl.

Kelly is the kind of friend who is always there - the steady, grounding presence in my life who somehow knows me better than I know myself. She loves me in a way I don’t always feel like I deserve, but I’m endlessly grateful for. She’s kind, she’s the smartest person I know, and somehow still completely humble about it. We were introduced by a mutual friend during our first semester of law school and that was the beginning of one of the most important friendships in my life. We've partied, prayed, laughed, and cried together. She has seen me at my lowest and not only accepted me but emboldened me to live a life I deserve. She’s been there through every stage with Brandon and I - she introduced us, supported us through the good and bad, helped plan our engagement, and has become the first person I turn to with any question about life or wedding planning. She’s walked through all of it with me, never missing a beat. I am forever thankful I know Kelly.