Ragged red hair... dimples... and a good boy. 2005-12-19 9:09 p.m.


My cousin Steve's birthday today... and I was trying to think how old he is... he has to be 35 this year... I can't believe we've grown up that much.

He's not actually a cousin... but for the last 20 years he's been apart of our family so he counts.

I remember meeting him for the first time... I was 3... he was 13... he hadn't been in Canada very long... and I thought he was the funniest boy in the world... deep red hair, thick and shaggy... freckles so thick I could barely see the white of his skin... dimples like you have never seen dimples before... and when he spoke... haha I couldn't understand a word his Irish accent was so thick.

We were at McDonalds... he had a strawberry sundae and I was really quite jealous. I wasn't allowed junky food... and DEFINITELY not ice cream... woe is the girl with milk allergies... I watched him... stared at him as he spooned the cool sweetness into his mouth.... like a puppy, I'm sure I was licking my chops too.

When our mothers weren't looking... he snuck me strawberry sauce from his spoon... True to my nature today... easily whooed by sweets, I was in his lap in about five seconds... taking what I could when my mother wasn't looking.

I was in love. *haha*... and so was he. He carted me around the rest of the night... my feet never touched the floor... he kept telling his mother how small, light and cute I was... kept asking if they could keep me *lol*...

I'm sure he remembers this just as well as I do.

We grew up good friends too... he was always sweet to me... always prtected me from my brothers and his step brothers... he always wanted me around... which was sort of rare being the only girl in a life filled with boys just a few years older than me...

Sinced I moved away from home, though, we've lost touch. It's a shame... and I'm sorry for it.

The last time I remember seeing him for any length - I think it was Christmas of 1996... he came to spend it with us... and he was bunking with me in my room... (I'm a small girl and I always got stuck sharing my room with guests)...

We sat around the tree to have Christmas drinks... I took a seat on the floor in front of steve and wrapped in his legs... his legs over my shoulders and my arms around them...

I fell asleep like that that night... hugging his legs and hearing him laugh... I woke up the next morning in my bed... with a redwine headache, hairy legs and wolly socks in my face.

Should I never see that sweet face again... never laugh with those insanely huge dimples... or be snuggled close under his arm or legs... If I had to choose one memory with him to be my last.... I think that one would be it.

Or, it'd be right up there anyway... so many good times, maybe it's be hard to choose just one.



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