Deborah Roberts

She's the middle child of five kids, including her older sister, Olivia, and they grew up together near Coeur d'Alene.

I remember the day Kaylee was born.

I was about four and a half years older than Kaylee.

And you're a big sister, but you also ended up being best friends.

What was it like to watch her evolve and become a young woman?

It was the best.

From the moment Kaylee was born, she was ornery, stubborn, a spitfire, so confident, so sure of herself.

There was no timid bone in her body.

Kaylee is this bubbly, smiley girl.

And Maddie's always been described as just a little bit quieter.

Yeah.

How did they click?

I think that something in Kaylee's soul recognized something in Maddie's and vice versa, and it was never a question because

So it was probably my second class of the day, if I remember correctly.

And these two girls walked in just talking and laughing, life of the party.

During high school, they mentioned it early on.

They were going to go off to college together.

That was their plan.

Living near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, they were just about 85 miles or so from the University of Idaho campus.

It's not until 2022 that Kaylee and Maddie live together.