My best friend married my younger sister, who has Down syndrome, but while she was fighting for her life, he grabbed my hands tightly and whispered: “The time has finally come for you to discover WHY I REALLY MARRIED HER.”
Rosie, my sister, is only one year younger than me. Because she has Down syndrome, some kids kept their distance from her or treated her like she was strange.
Ben, my best friend, was never one of them. “You will always have Rosie and Ben,” he used to tell her often.
Ben was always looking out for her. During recess, he would always choose her for his team, and when we were in fourth grade, he even promised her that one day he would take her to prom.
For years, everyone expected Ben and I to end up together. However, when we grew up, he proposed to Rosie.
I cried more than Rosie. My best friend became part of my family as my brother, and my sister received a happiness that strangers had always said someone like her could never have.
