This post has been one of the most difficult for me to write, a task that has taken six months to finally face.

On December 27th, shortly after Christmas, we said goodbye to our dear friend Scott. The news hit me with a profound wave of grief and shock, shattering my heart in a way I had never experienced before. Scott was more than a friend; he was a brother to my husband and me.

Though I had encountered grief in the past, nothing prepared me for the physical ache that accompanied this loss. Even now, six months later, speaking of him evokes raw and painful emotions.

But who was Scott Viguie? I could enumerate his achievements, of which there were many, but I’d rather reflect on what he meant to me personally.

Our journey began in 2012 at a convention in Atlanta called Timegate, where my husband and I met Scott and Debbie his wife. Surprisingly, we discovered that we lived within an hour of each other and shared a passion for Disney. A week later, the four of us rendezvoused at Disney’s Epcot, where we spent three hours in deep conversation at the France pavilion. I joked that we could write a book with all our shared commonalities.

Thus began one of the most transformative friendships of our lives. Scott and Debbie not only became our best friends but an integral part of our lives. Our bond was unique; we did everything together, a rarity for couples. Debbie once remarked that it was the first time they, as a couple, had befriended another couple so closely.

In time, I discovered Scott’s brilliant mind, his insatiable thirst for knowledge, and his boundless compassion. He was a geek at heart, always ready to discuss the latest fandom obsession.

Debbie lamented that we never knew Scott before his physical limitations due to cerebral palsy became more pronounced. Yet, our connection with him and Debbie came at a time when my husband and I needed it most. We grew to love them like family.

I’ll never forget the moment Scott called me his sister at Universal Studios during the Harry Potter celebration in 2015. It was a seemingly insignificant moment to an outsider, but to me, it was profound. There are countless memories I cherish with Scott, but since his passing, what remains vivid is his infectious laughter and unbridled excitement for the things that brought him joy

I still miss him so much every day, so many times I wish I can share with him something new in our lives, or talk about something from any of the different fandoms we loved. Last year, we enjoyed the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser together, an experience that now holds bittersweet memories as it was the last time I saw him in person.

Scott’s presence brought immense joy into my life, and his absence leaves an indelible void. But his memory lives on in the laughter we shared and the love we treasured.