For Jess, Always Poem by cassidy Lovato

We met when life was simple
crayons, sleepovers, scraped knees,
a kind of friendship you don't realize
is saving you
until years later.

You were there before I had words
for what hurt,
before I knew some houses weren't safe,
before I understood
that kindness could be quiet
and still powerful.

There was a time we were pulled apart
by things too big for kids to carry.
Rules we didn't make.
Fear we didn't name.
And I often wonder
how different I might've been
if I'd had you beside me
through all of it.

But maybe this is the truth:
we had to live the lives we lived
to find each other the way we have now.

We grew up separately
still orbiting,
still showing up in milestones,
never demanding,
never keeping score.

You showed up when my world cracked open
minutes after life changed forever,
laughing about timing,
love stitched into every step.

And when it was your turn,
I stood witness
to strength,
to softness,
to a battle you tried to fight alone
until love refused to let you.

There were seasons we barely touched,
years where life was loud and busy,
but somehow
we always knew
where to find each other.

You crossed miles for me
when I didn't even know
I needed protecting.
You spent what you didn't have,
planned what you didn't have to,
and showed me
what real friendship looks like
without ever saying a word.

You've lived a life
that would've hardened others
loss, war, illness, grief
yet somehow you stayed gentle,
funny, open,
still believing people are worth loving.

And now here we are
inside jokes,
memes no one else would understand,
truth without performance,
a small circle
that finally feels like home.

I wish I had seen sooner
what was always in front of me.
But I also know
we weren't late
we were right on time.

I have you now.
You have me.
Across distance,
across hard days,
across whatever comes next.

And somewhere in all of this,
there's a light I never met
but always feel
the kind that rearranges paths,
that nudges souls together,
that knew we'd need each other.

So here's to the girlhood we shared,
the years we missed,
and the lifetime we still get.

I'm so glad it's you.

And to the girl whose light left too soon
Haley.
thank you for loving her first.
For shaping the heart that would one day
hold mine so steadily.

I never met you,
but I feel you
in the way she loves,
in the way she stays,
in the way she knows
who matters.

If souls can guide,
I think you did.
And I hope you know
how deeply
you're still part of this story.