I met Alex in 2013 at a sugar shack in Quebec. It was all braces, low ponytails, and awkward pre-teen angst. The following fall I saw her at orientation before the first day of high school. She put my phone number in her LG slide phone, and the rest is history. We started and ended high school holding hands and for that, I am forever thankful. She has since lost the braces and is on her way to being a lawyer, I now opt for a messy bun and drive a mom SUV but we have never grown apart. Alex is loving, grounding and the most loyal person I will ever know. Her presence makes me feel calm and at peace, like a cat basking in the warm sun. So this is to you Alex, and the sunshine you give off.