And then there are those you stop counting the years with because they are here to stay. They are here. And they aren't going anywhere. Nothing will make them flinch. Nothing will make them think twice. They know you at your worst, the worst you didn't even know you had. They know the sound of your mood swings, the color of your anger, how you curse when you curse, how you shout when you throw a tantrum. Furthermore, they know when you're avoiding a subject. Furthermore, they know when you're lying. Furthermore, they know when you're jealous. Furthermore, they know your vices by heart and they celebrate them. Furthermore, they celebrate you-- vices included. They know your lost dreams and how life fucked you over. Furthermore, they know the battles you lost. And they think your fabulous when you think you're just an unlucky mediocre person who once thought will make it big in life. They know the last time you were happy. They see the unspoken sadness in your eyes. Furthermore, they know the words behind your silence. Furthermore, they know the photographs playing in your mind when you're looking afar. They know YOU, the naked YOU, the raw YOU, not the embellished YOU people see, not the YOU that will be read in biographies or in elegies once you're dead, not the YOU that introduces you to others. They love you from the bottom of their heart. Furthermore, they are your family regardless of their blood. Furthermore, they are your squad. Furthermore, they are your people. And no matter how many times you make them open the door, they can't walk out. They just can't. Because, just sometimes, when people say forever, they mean it. They do.