Definitely Better Now

by Ava Robinson

No one ever grows up standing still in their comfort zone.

“The point of sobriety is to live a full life, and full lives include some people who drink. I don’t want you to limit yourself to only our tiny section of the world.”

“But I’m really happy I’m not alone. There’s a reason people write so many love songs, Em. Life is better with someone by your side.”

You have to want something to get it. Life won’t just hand it to you.”

“How do you know if you’ll be miserable or happy with someone?” “Well, I think the first step is to not marry a stranger just because they fell asleep on your couch.” He shot me another smirk. “And then, well, marry someone who brings out the best in you.”

“Okay, think about it this way. When you’re with someone, if you like yourself, then they’re good for you. If you don’t like yourself, then they’re not. I think it’s that simple.”

Today, I’d bet on me rather than the bottle. After all, this wasn’t the end of the world, but it was an ending.

“You can be nostalgic for things you haven’t lived through. As long as it speaks to an essential part of you.”

I didn’t usually bring people closer, or ask them to come further into the mess of my life. But I was so tired of trying to hold everything together by myself.

“I was just kind of floating, you know? Not making any big decisions. But then everything seemed more serious when I realized how fragile it all was. That anyone could be gone at any moment. It suddenly felt like I was wasting my time going out, playing video games, or doing anything that wasn’t meaningful. If I only have so many breaths, I want to take each one with intention.”