Erika Sorensen’s “Reunited” is an evocative, relatable tale for anyone who has had a best friend. The story of her relationship with Casey, a beloved childhood companion, and her undying love for him touched me deeply. I found myself empathizing with Erika as accounts of her affection for Casey brought back bittersweet memories of my own.

Soon after Erika’s anecdote began, I could feel emotion emanating from the page. Casey had been her “everything,” which is later proven by the experiences she and her friend had shared. It was hard not to smile as I read about how Erika watched The Magic School Bus for hours with Casey by her side and how her love extended to his sister, Maya, or rather, “The Amazing Talking Baby.” Without even meeting anyone in the story, I could tell every morsel of affection was authentic.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck. Erika and Casey were disconnected, and by a cruel twist of fate, Maya passed away in a car crash. Tears nearly came to my eyes as I read through the few paragraphs. I do not consider myself a particularly emotional person, but Erika’s execution of the moment pulled hard on my heartstrings. Erika’s increasing eagerness to help Casey through his time of need heightened the intensity of the piece, and when she finally has the chance to see him again, the reader is left yearning to know what happened when Erika meets the boy who she has “missed so achingly for thirteen years.”

Erika’s relationship with Casey reminded me of my own childhood friend. Like Erika and Casey, we had been inseparable, a tag team that could never be severed. As fate would have it, distance eventually separated us, but my friend has remained in my memory ever since. Erika’s tale reminded me that there is always hope for being reunited and the untold end to her narrative allows me to believe in my own conclusion: love will never disappear.