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Today my sister-in-law is leaving for London, indefinitely. That means she could be away for 6 months, or she could be gone for 6 years.

I’m going to miss her so much.

Michelle is an incredible woman. She’s vivacious and friendly and exciting and, well, to be frank: shrill. But you can’t help loving her, even as you cover your ears, because she’s so much fun to be with.

I’d been going out with Brad for weeks before I met Michelle and to be honest I was somewhat nervous about her. I’d heard she could be unpredictable and had a bit of a temper when crossed.

One time when Brad was a teenager, he got into a fight at a school sports carnival. He found himself facing up against maybe a dozen other boys who were bullying him and he wasn’t sure what to do. On the one hand, if he fought the most vocal one, the rest would gang up and beat him up. On the other hand, if he tried to walk away, the guys would gang up and beat him up. Not the best odds, really.

Then suddenly a screaming, shrieking ball of rage came plummeting down the hill and bowled Brad’s attacker over. He went tumbling to the bottom of the hill, where Michelle landed on top of him and began punching him in the face, saying “Don’t. You. Touch. My. Brother.”

When she was even younger, Michelle once hit a kid over the head with a surveyor’s peg because they were being mean to her brother.

In short, she’s had a lifetime of fine-tuning that temper and the end result is Don’t. Fuck. With. Michelle.

I was expecting to meet a terrifying super bitch who was suspicious of everyone who went near her brother. To make it worse, I heard she was beautiful.

So I was kind of unprepared for Michelle when she actually walked into my life. Walked is the wrong word, actually. I was asleep in Brad’s bed when his mother came into the room to warn me that Michelle was about to come and jump on me.

I said, “Wow … That’s a bit forward.” I didn’t really know how else to respond. I didn’t get a chance to think about it either because a moment later Michelle bounded into the room on all fours, barking and panting like an excited little puppy who was determined to become my best friend.

Brad, who is unfazed by these things, reached out to pat her head. He’s used to her antics by now. Or at least, he’s come to expect the unexpected, which is almost the same.

And his beautiful sister (she really is gorgeous) evidently decided that I wasn’t a threat to her brother, and we were instantly friends.

On the nights when Brad didn’t stay at my house, Michelle did. The two of us would sleep in my ferociously girly heart bed, pulling the white mesh net all the way around us so that we could feel like princesses, and giggling long into the night.

My husband is something of a package deal. You don’t just get the Brad action figure. You also get his family, including the beautiful sister fashion doll, who comes with her own array of different hats and hair curling devices, and you have to love them all.

Luckily they’re pretty loveable.

Have fun in London, Michelle, and don’t forget to write.