And finally we come to the very last part of my story, the sixth part…..

As time went on, for some reason there was something that kinda stepped in between us.

Something that had never been there before.

To give it a name, I’d call it an edge.

We’d hit a sharp edge.

I’d never had sibling rivalry and neither had she but, that’s kinda how I figured it felt…..like not enjoying each other so much any longer.

The girlfriend craziness…..it wasn’t there.

It wasn’t us anymore.

A little time went by, our phone conversations weren’t quite so frequent but one day when we were gabbing, I suggested we fly to Michigan for a quickie few-day visit and……we did.

I felt bad vibes…..negativity, on that visit.  

I’m sure she did too.

On returning back to California, there were a few “edgy” E-mails passed back and forth.

I THINK it was a misuse and misunderstanding of words used by both of us.

Remembering it now I wonder why one or the other of us, didn’t simply call the other and say, “HEY, WTF??????”

But we didn’t.

We each said our piece and then said good-bye.

I was more pissed than sad at the time.

I mean, seriously, WTF?

I can only guess that she felt the exact same way. 

I’m sure it pissed her off too.

If you’ve never been in this situation, then you’re the lucky one but, it’s where my BFF and I landed. 

And we stayed closed-down for a long time.

Years.

I don’t remember how many, but many.

Then a class reunion was going to be happening in the little town we all grew up in.

I wanted to go.

I knew my BFF and her man would be there.

We couldn’t attend with the ugliness between us.

I put it in the front of my brain and I thought long and hard about it.

And here’s where my thoughts took me…..

It didn’t matter any longer what was said or why it was said.  

I’d pretty much forgotten how it all started but what I knew is that we were both hurt over it.

Whether what happened was her fault, my fault or both our faults, I had hurt her and that didn’t make me feel good.

And so, I took a deep breath, sent her an E-mail apologizing for my part in whatever the hell happened and for hurting her.

I told her we were considering coming back for the reunion but only if she and I could fix what we broke.

Her response was immediate and positive.

She told me she missed me.

That touched me deep.

We’d be flying in for the reunion only and then quickly returning to California. 

She and I went back and forth in E-mails and phone calls planning for this gig.

We’d meet ahead of time at a nearby bar so we could do the hugs, get past the discomfort, and we could each have a drink…..and one BEER for her!

It worked and it was wonderful.  

It was that feeling when you haven’t seen someone for a long time and in an instant, it’s like that stretch of time never happened.

We sat in the bar and primed ourselves for the evening ahead.

It was us again, the two BFF’s and the four crazies.

It was a fun evening and when it was at its end, she and I hugged, shed some tears, and said good-bye.

We promised to come together again soon.

Shortly after returning home, family drama developed. 

I had a nasty, angy daughter out for revenge, and she knew where to strike.

She came between us…..we allowed it.

My BFF knew the history and I expected her loyalty but it wasn’t there.

I felt betrayed.

Our tight, loyal bond just didn’t exist any longer.

Right or wrong, those were my feelings and I felt like well…..enough was enough.

Once again, there was silence.

This time I was more hurt than pissed.

I needed to figure it out, put it some place.

My sweet man took me to my favorite thinking place…..the Pacific Ocean.

I spent a week-end sitting on the shore, watching the waves roll in so beautifully and then violently crash against the boulders, explode then disappear.

I had been begging my Universe for an answer and there it was…..CRASH, EXPLODE then DISAPPEAR!

Years have passed.

Of course from time to time I think about her.

How could I not?

And, my memories have now brought the good stuff forward and kinda buried the bad.

But that story has ended.

There was just no fixin’ what we broke…..we tried.

The book is closed and put away.

I’ve read often that people come in and out of our lives at different times.

She was my savior.

There’s no way I could have gotten through those horrible times of my teen-aged years without her, without all the laughter to cover the sadness that we both shared. 

It’s a sad ending to a very long, fun story but…..it IS an ending.