Mental State Elle — Ann Brown

It had been four years since her first meltdown, almost two since the last, and Maddison Miller was finally in what she considered a healthy stride of life. She was in love, madly, had a best friend that had seen her through more ups and downs than she cared to admit, and a job that filled her with extreme purpose. Even though life had been rough, sometimes downright brutal, it was still good. Perhaps meltdowns were a thing of her past and she had already faced her darkest days. More realistically, however, there was bound to be something else that would rattle her to the core. But that was the bad habit she was trying hard to overcome, getting ahead of herself -- especially negatively. So when her overactive mind started to rev up, she reminded herself she didn't have to go down that path again. When she finally found herself in the most steady rhythm she had ever functioned with in life, change was approaching once more, faster than she realized. This year, unlike the others, was really about to alter everything. And then, maybe with a big sigh and a full heart, she would finally be satisfied with her Mental State.