We do everything together

Throughout every chapter of my life there has always been one constant, my twin sister Jenn. At times it felt as if our lives were drifting apart, like when she moved away, but we’ve always found our way back to each other. As cliché as it sounds, for me Jenn is ‘home’ and together it feels like we can accomplish anything.

Even at three years old, we were what our parents called ‘a force to be reckoned with’. After a nap (consisting of zero sleep), we once pulled at a tiny bit of loose wallpaper in our room until we’d stripped a whole section bare. Our poor mum Debra and dad John didn’t find it as hilarious as we did.

Months later, we were given our own bedrooms. But that first night I couldn’t sleep, so I crept into Jenn’s room and got into bed with her. We exchanged matching grins, never more content than when we were side by side.

As we got older, Mum encouraged us to dress differently, assigning yellow and pink for me, green and purple for Jenn. She also had us put into different classes at primary school, to encourage us to build our own identity and make our own friends. It didn’t stop us getting up to mischief, though. Taking advantage of being identical, we’d cheekily swap classes occasionally, finding it so funny that the teachers didn’t notice.

Uni days

Our parents signed up Jenn, more of a girly girl, to dance classes. I was more of a tomboy and took up basketball at age 10. But despite being nudged towards different paths, and making our own friends at school, we ended up at the same university, both studying Communications.

Late at night, we’d stay up in one of our dorm rooms, reading and revising together, and feeling so grown up drinking coffee.

After university, Jenn met Jeff through mutual friends. Being naturally feisty, I interrogated him, asking what his intentions were for my sister. A matter of weeks later, Jenn told me she thought Jeff was the man she was going to marry. Her words left me shocked and I felt a little bit conflicted.

Of course, Jenn and I had had boyfriends over the years, but none serious enough to come between us. I wasn’t sure that I could share Jenn with someone else permanently, but at the same time I was thrilled she’d found happiness.

Within a year, they were married and I was maid of honour. Seeing Jenn so loved up was wonderful and I was