How close of a cousin is she - first cousin, second cousin, etc? I live in Alabama. Nuff said However, nobody in my family has married a cousin, but my husbands family which comes from Washington DC and are kind of snooty and well off is a different story. His sister married her second cousin. It's legal there. Here too. Not sure about first cousins though. Anyway, they have two beautiful kids and one beautiful grandson and another grandbaby on the way.
As for diseases, it's only when you have two recessive genes that match up that cause that. It's just more likely in blood relatives. In many families in the past, especially royal families and very well off families that had a "dynasty" type thing going, first and second cousins were your only choices for matrimony. I've read about some, hundreds of years ago, that married brother and sister to each other, among other things. They didn't look at it like we do now though.
I agree that you shouldn't say anything though. Just hang out and talk and do regular things together. Don't make the first move. Seriously give it a few years until you are both older before you say anything. Remember, if she doesn't feel like you do it's going to be embarrassing and you won't ever be able to get away from her or any other family members that she might tell. It's not like at school where you will eventually not see her anymore. This girl is somebody you are stuck with being related to for life. Be real careful with it.
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I'm giving it another shot. We will see.
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