I tucked them in separately last night. In two separate beds. Two girls, twelve and thirteen years old. Nervous, excited and an exhausting mixture of sleepy and wide awake.
At 6:00am I knocked lightly on their door and opened it slightly. I found those same two girls in the same bed, arm in arm, cuddled together and wide awake.
"Kristyn woke me up at 5:47am, Mommy!" Erin called out to me.
When I asked Kristyn why she would do that she said "I wanted Erin to be awake to see the last few minutes of summer tick by."
School started this morning. Two girls who went to sleep as children woke up as young adults. One is starting her high school years. One is transitioning to being the oldest sibling at her school, without the safety net of her best friend and older sister.
So much is changing for them.
Except for one thing. At some point in the night, one found her way into the others' bed, like they have done most nights since they were toddlers.