2024-11-18 “New Normal” by Hannah (born 2002)

NEW NORMAL—Pardon the seeming cliche “girl in nightgown for no apparent reason” picture. I’m actually on my way to bed, and this is legit. My apartment, my sofa (and Emma’s, too, of course). It's not like I'm walking through the middle of the street in this. And, of course, this is not my first ever nightgown picture either.

I’m happy to report that Emma and Merritt have recovered from whatever time-travel disruption they had to go through. They seem no worse for the ordeal, yet the rest of us were very concerned. 

I’m still processing the fact that on Friday both Merritt and I and Devon and Emma called off our relationships. Looking back, I really feel like I pushed Emma and Devon together. Had I not done that, perhaps Merritt and Emma would have gotten together sooner. They seem to be really happy.

When I think about my dream from the group in 1984, I am reminded that Emma and Merritt were fairly obviously a couple there, too. I can’t help but wonder if that has importance. And if it does, what else?

I do not regret my time with Merritt. I learned a lot about what I’d like in a “forever” relationship. I see some of that in Devon. Still, with regard to “two weeks or forever” I’m not ready to make a decision yet. Who knows?

I’ve heard that after a big life change, people never go back to normal. The normal of the past is in the past. Instead, they discover a new normal.

I think that’s where we are regarding the breakups. It’s going to take some time, but in the end, we’ll discover a new version of normal. Of course that new normal is subject to being sundered at any time by shifting time. And also by, it seems, whatever happened to Emma and Merritt on Sunday.