Times Change

It was 16 years ago. Both of us dating best friends which is how we met. Even with her being able to live the life of a normal teenager and I a new mother, we took to eachother instantly. Back then we thought we knew it all, there wasn't anything you could tell me. We were young, beautiful and dumber than hell. Both of our relationships were horrible and abusive. They didn't start that way, just seemed to progress there at the same time. Our friendship was immediate but the bond we formed grew so strong during that point of our lives. I married the man I was dating, she was smart enough to postpone her wedding day. She was there as my daughter grew, there when I had my second child, there when I was beat down and there when it was over. She was smart enough to leave her boyfriend, seeing that gave me the courage to follow suit. Once I made the decision there was no turning back, a weight was lifted off of me and my life began.
Once we had realized that we deserved better, we demanded better..... Our lives flipped around. We went out to meet it head on. There were crazy nights, wild men, drunken stupers, bar room fights, dancing on tables, taking over clubs, and many many hangovers. We were the girls your mother warned you about.
Times changed and we calmed down, to an extent. I met my husband and everything changed for me. He is my rock, I didn't need to go out seeking that attention anymore. I remember telling him that he had some how managed to bottle a tornado, because that's who I was. One year after I was married she and I went back out for a reminiscing of girls night out on the town. I took her to the club my husband and I used to frequent and it was there that she met one of my husbands friends. She ended up marrying him regardless of my pleading for her to reconsider. He was an ass, always had been, still is. But she was in love. It has been 10 years since that night and she has finally found the good sense to leave him. We haven't hung out in years, I have moved 800 miles away but we still keep in touch. Everytime we have talked on the phone, no matter how much time has gone by, it's as if we spoke just yesterday. We still have that bond. She has never been able to come and see me since she was married to the horses ass. But now, she is coming, she will be here in three weeks and I cant wait.
What I find amazing is that 2 husbands, 3 kids and 800 miles later we still connect. I'm not that crazy girl anymore. I don't start bar fights, don't get kicked out of clubs, don't carry a regular hangover and am at peace with myself and my life. She is too, we grew up but not apart. I am sure we will settle on the sofa with a bottle of wine and giggle about the stupid crazy shit we pulled back then, and all will be good. It's funny to look back on those times, it seems as if it were a million years ago. The people who know me now would probably find it hard to believe that was me, I guess I finally grew up.