I watched the rain droplets slide down the window as I tried to ignore the sounds of the suitcases jostling against each other in the trunk of our car. The time had finally come: my sister was leaving for college. It was a moment I had been increasingly dreading each year that went by. My sister and I have always had a very special, indescribable bond that can only really be understood by girls who have sisters themselves. I was not ready to let go of that so soon.
The rain soon cleared up. We were greeted by overly-enthusiastic sophomores and aggressively hot summer weather. We strolled through the manicured green grass and impressive architecture before we visited her dorm, which was a tiny room on the second floor with a window to let in the sunlight. I wiped the sweat off my forehead as I helped her unpack the mountains of stuff she insisted she couldn’t live without. My dad conversed with some neighboring parents while my mom pestered her for not bringing enough snacks. Anything to distract them from the fact that they were not coming home with their eldest daughter.
The clock struck 3pm, and it was time to finally say goodbye. As I hugged her, everything seemed strangely… okay. Her college campus was beautiful, her teachers were friendly and the other students we met seemed hopeful about the year. Either I was confident I would be okay without my sister, or I didn’t truly understand the gravity of the situation at the moment. Turns out it was the latter.
My summer was a blur of college research, ACT prep and essay writing – and I know this upcoming semester will not differ. I know that without my sister, things will be harder in ways that probably haven’t even occurred to me yet. I miss her already: the gossip sessions, the bubble tea trips and the obsession over every rom-com that came out in the 90s. She may not be here with me physically, but her empathy, resilience and determination will always be a part of who I am. And if I am confident about one thing, it’s that our relationship will forever remain just as strong. As my family sits down at the dinner table for the first time without her, we reassure ourselves that with time, everything is going to be just fine.
