tell me i'm your national anthem

Ten years ago, she’d been a bartender, a high school graduate, surrounded by familiarity and safety and a boy she’d cared about more than she’d originally planned to. But she’d ended all of that before she left (the end was painful but necessary, because it just wasn’t the same anymore, and she knew that). Then she’d moved to New York, ready for university and another fresh start (one could never have too many). But this time, with Alexis, her bestest friend and princess (because just saying best friend would never be enough). She had been happy, but sad, and eating, but just-not-quite-better-yet.  Then college fixed her, just like Brooks had. But this time, it seemed to be for good. And suddenly she was lively again. Asia was determined to become a psychiatrist because “Damn it, I need to help people!” and that was the best way she knew how, from personal experience. So she went to college, and lived with Alexis, and was so happy it seemed surreal. Then the summer before junior year, Alexis left to go be a fabulous model, and Asia went to South America for two months to volunteer. She had loved it, but she wanted to go back to school more than she knew. So she went back, and she was alone again, just like that first day at Brooks. She’d made friends (she’d always been quite good at that).

And then she met him. He was taller than she was and had a goofy smile permanently plastered on his face, a senior journalism major, to her junior psychology major. His name was Will, and she had accidentally run him over one time at the library. He liked her books, and she liked his dark, curly hair. They’d bonded over a mutual love of literature and caffeine, though they differed in opinion on so many other things. Asia fell for him quicker than she should have, and she knew that. But then she’d think about that goofy smile which made her heart race, his never-ending rambling, and the way that sometimes when they were close together, he’d try to count her freckles. Good thing he loved her too. He said he loved the way she sometimes rambled, her bazillion and one freckles, that she’d rather stay in and read then go out, that her smile was perfectly crooked and toothy (She’d smiled extra wide when he’d said that), and just everything. She had been so happy it had almost hurt, but in the best way possible. Two weeks later, she introduced him to her entire family and told him about her eating disorder. And when he still stuck around, she couldn’t help but wonder how someone could be just so right?

Will graduated and wrote a novel which stayed on the New York Times’ Bestseller List much longer than expected. Asia graduated and went to medical school. They lived together in a small but cozy apartment with a wall dedicated just to books, and volunteered every year for at least a month in the same school where Asia had volunteered that first time. They were happy - people wondered when something would go wrong (it didn't. Because even though there were small fights, they were always resolved). Four years later, Asia graduated med school with an offer to join one of the top psychiatric practices in New York City, and Will finished his second book. Then Asia found out she was pregnant (it had been unlikely to happen, seeing as she’d basically destroyed her body at one point). After some minor panic, they adjusted. Everything was good and happy and perfectly wonderful in a way Asia had never known existed. They got married one July, just as she was starting to show, wearing a white dress that just skimmed her knees and sandals that laced up. The wedding was small and private and absolutely fitting of them. And no, it wasn’t because she was pregnant, but because they were going to be together for the rest of forever anyways, so why not legitimize it? The only flaw had been that their small reception dinner hadn't had the peanut butter and Doritos which Asia had been so craving. 

A few months later, she realized she was no longer just Asia Deeps, former anorexic and literature-a-holic. She was Dr. Asia Knowlton, children’s psychiatrist, wife, and mother to Charlotte Antonia (the middle name has been Will’s idea. It had been his grandmother’s name, and Asia loved his adorable sentimentality). Now, Charlie was almost a year old. Asia smiled to herself as she remembered last night’s phone call, when Charlie had babbled almost-words into the speaker as Asia had laughed. She’d decided to go to the reunion alone, sans Will. She’d needed to. There was no question of whether or not to attend – she was going. And so was everyone she knew. She may or may not have called her brothers, also…leaving threatening voicemails telling them that they had better make appearances at that reunion, or else.

I don't want candy.

MARTHA HATES EVERYONE EXCEPT ME.