• In the thirty-one years I've walked the face of earth, I've learned a few things. One of those things is, no matter how independent you want to be, you always need someone to depend on when times get rough, and secondly, you definitely should listen to the advice of an older sibling. Or at least, that's what I've learned.

    See, being a twin who just recently caught back up with their counterpart is hard; especially when the sibling you just met for the first time in your life wants to do his best to protect you. Yes, sometimes it feels a little bit like they're trying to keep you caged up and out of harm's way, but they do it out of love. And love is just one of those things that everyone needs.

    I grew up in a foster home, thousands of miles away from Shawn. And when I was old enough to get a job, hold one, and save up the money to get away from the home I grew up in, I traveled all over the place. Italy, Germany, France, Poland, New Zeland; anything to just... learn more about the world around me. Given, at that point in my life, I'd always learned things the hard way, and never really had the protection of a brother to keep me from harm.

    I'm not the most straight-edge sibling there is. Germany lead to a lot of drinking and drugs. France was kind of the same. It wasn't until I came back home to the states when I finally caught on and was learning that I was on the fast track of killing myself. And for as long as I can remember, there was an emptiness inside of me that I couldn't explain. Who wants to die with an emptiness?

    About six months after I came home, I got a phone call from my biological father, telling me that he wanted to see me, and that he would fly me out to California. I was pretty good with that, simply because I knew it would be nice to see the man that helped create me and bring me into this world. But Dad wasn't the only person I met when I made it to California. Needless to say, my brother Shawn and I had a very awkward first meeting.

    But as time progressed, Shawn and I bonded, but I wouldn't let him throw his guard up for me. I was accustomed to learning things the hard way, because that's how I'd always been. I guess you could say that was how I'd learned a lot of life's lessons early on. It wasn't until recently when I really got some sense spoken to me, and I tell you what. It opened my eyes.

    I understand now why my brother does what he does for me. It's not to keep me from going off and screwing up sometimes, coz we all do that. It's because he loves me, and for 31 years, he didn't have me around. Now he wants the chance to actually be the big brother. I was too stupid and naive to see that before; but I see it now. If it hadn't been for Shawn's husband, a persistent little girl, and a few other friends, I'm pretty sure I would have lost my brother the day we had our big fight.

    Our fight had been over one of my many stupid choices; to pursue someone who could have been linked to a case he'd been working. Me in all of my infinite wisdom and stubbornness just didn't want to listen to him. But then again, most sisters are like that with their brothers, just like most brothers are the same way with their sisters.

    Needless to say, when I got to Shawn, he was bleeding and pretty damn exhausted. All the way to the hospital after Lassy came and got us, I wouldn't let go of him. I kept thinking about what would have happened if I had lost him that day. And to be truthful? That scared me. I couldn't imagine a world without my brother; he means so much to me. Even if we only met a short time ago. But with twins, that connection is there forever.

    I'm just really glad I smartened up. He needed that, I needed that, we both needed it. Because we only want what's best for each other. And we both love each other very much.