Wintergirls

Lia remembers the first time she was admitted to New Seasons, right after the car accident. Lia remembers being a good patient who didn’t self-harm and who ate when instructed. Lia describes, “They stuffed me like a pink little piggy ready for market” (28). Four weeks later, Lia returned home to her mother’s house. Lia remembers, “Cassie understood. She listened to everything that happened, and she told me I was brave” (28).

Lia drives home. At home, Lia realizes she doesn’t remember driving home. Lia imagines that she could have hit someone on her drive home and not realized it. Lia inspects her car, but there is no damage on the car.

Lia takes Thanksgiving leftovers out of the fridge from the week before. Lia remembers that growing up, they used to either go to her maternal grandmother or paternal grandmother’s house and enjoy a big Thanksgiving dinner. Now, Lia’s grandmothers have both passed away and her family no longer gets together for the holidays. This year, Lia, her father, her stepmother, Emma, and two of her father’s graduate students spent Thanksgiving together.

Lia takes leftover stuffing, covers it in ketchup, and microwaves it long enough to make a mess in the microwave.