A Fairy Tale

Once upon a time there was a little girl with dark brown eyes, and dark brown curls--lots of them. She had three beautiful blue-eyed sisters, who also had silky blonde hair. They had no brothers, but they did have five energetic and very lovable boy cousins, with whom they spent every spare moment. The five cousins were loads of fun and helped the very proper young ladies learn to climb trees, tell ghost stories and mostly clean jokes, swear, and play poker. They were fast friends. They shared secrets and watched the stars at night. They went fishing and camping together. The young ladies considered the cousins "brothers" and looked up to them and loved them.

One of the cousins was blue-eyed and brash. He had golden hair and a huge smile. He was older than the curly-haired sister and she loved him. She was certain that he loved her back. The oldest sisters and the older cousins grouped together. They played games and went hiking. They played tricks on the younger cousins and sisters. They were partners in crime and inseparable friends.

One day the blue-eyed, brash cousin with the beautiful smile did something unspeakable to the curly-haired sister. She didn't understand. She was afraid of him. And yet, for many years the sister continued to love the cousin and to believe he loved her.

Many years later someone told the no-longer-curly-brown-haired sister that the cousin didn't love her. This caused her to ache incredibly. The hurt was terrifying. But when she could breathe again, the sister felt lighter. A great weight had been lifted. There existed simultaneously inside of her an immense relief and a gaping hole. The love space she had saved for her cousin was empty.

And now, the sister wonders how to fill that emptiness...the relief is amazing and wonderful, but the void inside gnaws at her. What to do next? How can she proceed? The brown-haired sister is very, very confused...