The Magic of Found Objects

by Maddie Dawson

And just like that, from out of nowhere, a little dark cloud flits across my mind and then settles there. Steve—whom I had just hours ago decided I would never think of again—is now figuring rather prominently. It hits me that he didn’t want to marry me in front of witnesses and family because he didn’t really, really love me; and now Judd doesn’t want to even pretend we’re in love. Even my father doesn’t act like he loves anyone. And Tenaj . . . gone from my life. No one, no one, loves me the way I want to be loved. No one loves the whole me.

“I’ve enjoyed about as much of this as I can stand.”

“Everything always works out in the end. And if it didn’t work out yet, then it isn’t the end.”

“The marriage counselor said that sometimes we tell ourselves a little story, and we just hold on to it until it feels like it has to be true, and we can’t switch out of it.”