Home does not have to be four walls and a roof. Sometimes, its two arms and a heartbeat. Cameron and I stood over the grave of Mica Gerald. I knelt down and placed the wildflowers in front of her stone. Cameron wrapped his arm around me and squeezed my shoulder when I stood.
"What are the odds that it was all a dream?" I murmured.
"What are the odds you'd have a dream with a gravestone that exists? You're not crazy, Aves. I believe you." Cameron replied.
Three months passed since I was discharged from the hospital. I regained a healthy weight, but I still felt the ghost of Anorexia. Although I was on the road to recovery and succeeding better than any doctor expected, there were still moments when Ana haunted me. Sometimes I didn't know that I was hungry until I was on the verge of passing out. More often, people had to ask me. I'd think for a moment, and realize that yeah, I was hungry. But maybe that wasn't Ana. Maybe it was just the scars she left behind. Either way, my life changed.
No sooner than being brought back to Jem's place did I seek alone time with Emily. The first chance I got, I confronted her about her book.
"It's all real, isn't it? You died and had an out-of-body experience. Divina was an Angel disguised as a Reaper and gave you a second chance."
Emily closed the book she was reading and studied me closely. "Something happened when you were in the hospital, didn't it?"
My throat tightened. It was a choice of answering with my voice cracking, or staying silent.
"Did she visit you?"
I couldn't prevent the tears from spilling. "She saved my Dad."
I broke down that night and in a sobbing mess telling Emily everything that I remembered. The news unsettled her, but she believed me. Emily thought I should write a book about my experience like she did hers. I didn't have any hope of getting published, but writing it was therapeutic. It made it real. It gave me something solid to look at instead of images in my mind. It helped me to grasp that it really happened. Within time, Emily gave birth to another beautiful baby girl she named Jacquelyn Marie Lockwood. Speaking of names, I asked my mom if I could change mine. She had no problem in letting me honor my dad. For all intents and purposes, I was Avery Lockwood. No one could tell me different.
Cam and Dean were still going strong. The three of us hung out as often as possible. Since moving to a foster home, Dean's life somewhat improved. Although he graciously received a foster family that was kind, he still got himself legally emancipated.
My mom and I decided to move to Jem's hometown. It provided the promise of a fresh start and we would be surrounded by family. I couldn't have asked for anything more.
"So I guess that's my story," I typed the final paragraph on my laptop. "And I hope it helps someone, whether or not this piece of crap sees the light of day, because even just knowing you're not alone can be enough. Whether or not these demons are real-metaphorical, or literal-they're something that exists. They're something that isn't going away. They're something that needs to be talked about. Maybe one day, we can get the world talking. What a world it would be to easily fall into a conversation about mental illness without it being judged, or unsettling. I hope I live long enough to see that world, but even if I don't... I've said my piece. I used my voice.
Yours Truly,
Avery Lockwood"
I saved the document and shut my laptop. No words were needed as I stepped outside and let the sun warm my skin. Staring into sky as the clouds drifted, I had one last thing to say and I wondered if my dad was listening.
"I'm proud of us."
A/N:
I couldn't agree more Avery, I'm proud of us too :) The next book will be about LGBT+ struggles. Give me a week to rest. I'll be back in the swing in no time.
Thank you all for the incredible journey. I will never forget you guys no matter where life takes me. I wouldn't be the writer I am today without you all. I owe all my success to you guys. I love you with all my heart <3
With all the love in this world, -Mickey P.S.S. I love the song. High Hopes is like, the most perfect closing song ever <3
YOU ARE READING
Avery's Anorexia
Teen Fiction"If you could see your demons for what they are, you'd never let them anywhere near you. " Avery Payne is completely disgusted with her body. She'll do anything to be skinny like all the other girls at school - no matter the cost. What happens when...
