I have just finished dragging our now bare Christmas tree to the curb, hoping that the trash truck picks it up soon. I return to the warmth of our house, shivering the remainder of the nippy winter air away as the heat engulfs me. I enter the living room to find Kelsie sitting on the couch, mesmerized by her phone. I roll my eyes and claim the love seat. I grab the remote from the coffee table and half-heartily search through the channels. Kelsie emits a sudden, loud squeal that causes me to drop the remote.
"What did Demi do now?" I ask, bending down to retrieve the remote.
"She canceled her New Years Eve concert in Canada!"
Clutching the remote, I stare at her with a perplexed expression.
"Why are you happy about that?" I slowly wonder.
She rolls her eyes, having yet to remove her gaze from her phone.
"Because now there's a chance she just may be on the Rocking Eve thing with Ryan Seacrest. If so, I can now watch her on our television instead of live streaming the Canada performance or watching it on YouTube."
"What if she canceled because she wants to reign in the New Year getting drunk at a club like most young adults?" I retort with an eye roll.
I receive a glare.
"What did I say wrong now?"
"Does recovery not mean anything to you, Banner?" She growls.
I pause, not quite understanding her. From what she has repeated to me thousands of times everyday, I know that Demi has battled from eating disorders, depression, and self-harm. It is then that I experience an epiphany.
"She was an alcoholic, too?" I guess.
Her glare intensifies.
"If looks could kill..." I mutter.
She rolls her eyes, but remains silent.
"What if she just wants to go to a club or something? But without drinking," I add, noticing her glare has returned.
"What abut temptation, Banner? I mean, I know she's incredibly strong and is a fighter, but everybody has bad days and moments of weakness."
I look at her thoughtfully.
"What?" She snaps, her cheeks tinting red.
"Your wise beyond your years, Kels."
Although she rolls her eyes, a small smile appears as she bows her head, her cheeks flushing even more so. I quietly chuckle at her embarrassment. Her phone chimes as her cheeks are returning to their normal shade.
"Do you wanna hear the page of Demi's book for today?" She questions me with a grin.
Kelsie doesn't own Demi's book; therefore, she has to read it from posts on Twitter. She doesn't care, though, as long as she is able to read her idol's book.
"Sure," I reply, just wanting to make her happy.
She grins before returning her gaze to her phone.
"The quote is from Confucius. It says 'It does not matter how slow you go, only that you do not stop'. Her passage for the day reads 'Speed is relative. Some people move quickly and others move slow. It doesn't mean you are getting more done either way; all that matters is you keep going. No matter what. Her goal for us today is 'Go at a slower pace today, starting with the moment you open your eyes till the moment you close them and everything in between.'," She recites.
Her eyebrows furrow together as she frowns.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't get what she means," Kelsie quietly-almost ashamedly- replies.
"That's okay, Kels," I reassure. "I think what she's trying to tell us is that we should the take time to enjoy the little moments that life has to offer. We should savour them and cherish them because we never know when they'll be our last. But, at the same time, we shouldn't let the fear of our expiration dates keep us from moving forward in life and looking ahead at a greater future," I slowly explain.
"Damn, Banner! When did you become Shakespeare's apprentice?"
I laugh.
"I'm just poetic like that," I joke.
She shakes her head while dragging her palm down her face.
ns 15.158.61.48da2
