The Complete Tempest World Box Set
Page 161
I felt the guys moving closer to me as she continued to weave her lyrical magic. Dizzy put his hand on my shoulder. Then Bryan, then War and eventually even King.
Her courage gave voice to my own. I grabbed the mic and lent my voice to hers for the final chorus. Not that she needed it. She was doing beautifully on her own. The way she had while I had been away. She had an inner strength and resilience that she was only beginning to recognize fully in herself.
The crowd that had been brought in as extras was as in awe of her as I was. They parked on the dance floor leaving a clear approach to the stage, except for one obstacle. An un-taped power cord directly in her path. I jumped down from the stage, but I was too far away to stop her from tripping on it. She went down hard on her knees, her palms slapping the floor. I strode quickly to her. “It’s ok, Melinda. I’m here.”
“Sager,” she breathed, tilting her head up toward me. “I believe in you. I believe in us. I don’t want to lose you.” Tears teetered on the edges of her dark lashes.
“You’re never going to lose me. Take my hand. I’m stretching it out to you. It’s right in front of your pretty face.”
She nodded and reached up to me, her expression making it seem as though she believed I was offering her everything she ever needed in my outstretched hand. The moment felt monumental when her fingers closed around mine. I gently helped her to her feet and moved my hands to her upper arms to steady her.
“Your skin is ice cold,” I told her.
She blinked up at me, her eyes wide and vulnerable and full of love. “It’s cold in here,” she returned.
“Then let me warm you up,” I suggested, my voice heavy with emotion.
“Ok,” she agreed, hesitating only briefly before bringing her hands up and laying them over mine.
“You can do better than that, babe.” I drew her closer, aligning her body with mine. I lifted the rosary off of my neck and placed it around hers, where it belonged, carefully rearranging her silky soft hair around her slim shoulders.
“I love you.” She smiled slowly.
“I love you, too. I will always love you. Now kiss me like you mean it, Blue,” I ordered. Her smile widened. She jumped into my waiting arms, where she belonged, the force of her happiness and my own lighting up the room for both of us.
EPILOGUE
Beauty
Music by Sager Reed
Lyrics by Sager Reed and Melinda T. Belle
Today I saw a vision
My future recognized
Hope for a tomorrow
Reflected in your eyes.
Artistry your movement
Redemption in your soul
Seal what once was broken
Two parts make the whole.
Beauty you are
A masterpiece
My soul’s release
The missing piece of me.
Maybe I’m not worthy
Of a heart so true
I’m looking for an answer
In those pools of blue.
Beauty you are
A masterpiece
My soul’s release
The missing piece
Of me.
Once an unbeliever
Your eyes helped me see
The beauty you imagined
Was always there in me.
Beauty you are
A masterpiece
My soul’s release
The missing piece
Of me.
~Interviews on the tour conducted by Sager Reed~
“Beauty to me is a pixie with fire in her heart and love for me in her pretty blue eyes.”
– Sager Reed
“Shaina without any clothes on. No, seriously. This band. All you guys... and Shaina naked.”
– Warren Jinkins
“Lace the day she came out of rehab and walked into my arms.”
– Bryan Jackson
“April’s smile when I told her I loved her.”
– Dizzy Lowell
“A chili cheese Coney foot long”
– Matteo Stinelli, a roadie from New Jersey
“Love in all its forms. My husband. My sister. My grandmother Maude. My best friend Avery.”
– Samantha Daniels-Reynolds, Tempest tour manager
“You mi hermano and my family, but you better erase that or I’ll kick your ass.”
– Juaquin Acenado
“Don’t let the bullshit expectations of other people define how you see yourself.”
– Sager Reed
What does beauty mean to you?
One of my hopes while writing the novels in the Tempest series is to draw attention to a couple of social issues within the framework of a story…not with any agenda in mind, but in a way to allow certain topics to be considered. Irresistible Refrain-heroin addiction, Enticing Interlude- teen pregnancy, Captivating Bridge- depression, Relentless Rhythm- domestic violence, and Tempting Tempo- anorexia.
A widespread eating disorder, anorexia has affected many women over many generations. I suffered from it as a teenager so did my mother before me…
What is anorexia nervosa?
A person with anorexia nervosa (an-uh-RECK-see-uh nur-VOH-suh), often called anorexia, has an intense fear of gaining weight. Someone with anorexia thinks about food a lot and limits the food she or he eats, even though she or he is too thin. Anorexia is more than just a problem with food. It’s a way of using food or starving oneself to feel more in control of life and to ease tension, anger, and anxiety. Most people with anorexia are female. An anorexic:
– Has a low body weight for her or his height
– Resists keeping a normal body weight
– Has an intense fear of gaining weight
– Thinks she or he is fat even when very thin
– Misses 3 menstrual periods in a row (for girls/women who have started having their periods)
Who becomes anorexic?
While anorexia mostly affects girls and women (85 - 95 percent of anorexics are female), it can also affect boys and men. It was once thought that women of color were shielded from eating disorders by their cultures, which tend to be more accepting of different body sizes. It is not known for sure whether African American, Latina, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian and Alaska Native people develop eating disorders because American culture values thin people. People with different cultural backgrounds may develop eating disorders because it’s hard to adapt to a new culture (a theory called “culture clash”). The stress of trying to live in two different cultures may cause some minorities to develop their eating disorders.
What causes anorexia?
There is no single known cause of anorexia. Eating disorders are real, treatable medical illnesses with causes in both the body and the mind. Some of these things may play a part:
– Culture. Women in the U.S. are under constant pressure to fit a certain ideal of beauty. Seeing images of flawless, thin females everywhere makes it hard for women to feel good about their bodies. More and more, women are also feeling pressure to have a perfect body.
– Families. If you have a mother or sister with anorexia, you are more likely to develop the disorder. Parents who think looks are important, diet themselves, or criticize their children’s bodies are more likely to have a child with anorexia.
– Life changes or stressful events. Traumatic events (like rape) as well as stressful things (like starting a new job), can lead to the onset of anorexia.
– Personality traits. Someone with anorexia may not like her or himself, hate the way she or he looks, or feel hopeless. She or he often sets hard-to-reach goals for her or himself and tries to be perfect in every way.
– Biology. Genes, hormones, and chemicals in the brain may be factors in developing anorexia.
What are signs of anorexia?
Someone with anorexia may look very thin. She or he may use extreme measures to lose weight by:
– Making her or himself throw up
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sp; – Taking pills to urinate or have a bowel movement
– Taking diet pills
– Not eating or eating very little
– Exercising a lot, even in bad weather or when hurt or tired
– Weighing food and counting calories
– Eating very small amounts of only certain foods
– Moving food around the plate instead of eating it
Someone with anorexia may also have a distorted body image, shown by thinking she or he is fat, wearing baggy clothes, weighing her or himself many times a day, and fearing weight gain.
Anorexia can also cause someone to not act like her or himself. She or he may talk about weight and food all the time, not eat in front of others, be moody or sad, or not want to go out with friends. People with anorexia may also have other psychiatric and physical illnesses, including:
– Depression
– Anxiety
– Obsessive behavior
– Substance abuse
– Issues with the heart and/or brain
– Problems with physical development
What happens to your body with anorexia?
With anorexia, your body doesn’t get the energy from foods that it needs, so it slows down. Look at the picture below to find out how anorexia affects your health.
Can someone with anorexia get better?
Yes. Someone with anorexia can get better. A health care team of doctors, nutritionists, and therapists will help the patient get better. They will:
– Help bring the person back to a normal weight
– Treat any psychological issues related to anorexia
– Help the person get rid of any actions or thoughts that cause the eating disorder
These three steps will prevent “relapse” (relapse means to get sick again, after feeling well for a while).
Is it safe for young people to take antidepressants for anorexia?
It may be safe for young people to be treated with antidepressants. However, drug companies who make antidepressants are required to post a “black box” warning label on the medication. A “black box” warning is the most serious type of warning on prescription drugs.
It may be possible that antidepressants make children, adolescents, and young adults more likely to think about suicide or commit suicide.
The latest information from the FDA—including what drugs are included in this warning and things to look for—can be found on their website athttp://www.fda.gov.
Some research suggests that the use of medicines—such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, or mood stabilizers—may sometimes work for anorexic patients. It is thought that these medicines help the mood and anxiety symptoms that often co-exist with anorexia. Other recent studies, however, suggest that antidepressants may not stop some patients with anorexia from relapsing. Also, no medicine has shown to work 100 percent of the time during the important first step of restoring a patient to healthy weight. So, it is not clear if and how medications can help anorexic patients get better, but research is still happening.
Some forms of psychotherapy can help make the psychological reasons for anorexia better. Psychotherapy is sometimes known as “talk therapy.” It uses different ways of communicating to change a patient’s thoughts or behavior. This kind of therapy can be useful for treating eating disorders in young patients who have not had anorexia for a long time.
Individual counseling can help someone with anorexia. If the patient is young, counseling may involve the whole family. Support groups may also be a part of treatment. In support groups, patients, and families meet and share what they’ve been through.
Some researchers point out that prescribing medicines and using psychotherapy designed just for anorexic patients works better at treating anorexia than just psychotherapy alone. Whether or not a treatment works, though, depends on the person involved and his or her situation. Unfortunately, no one kind of psychotherapy always works for treating adults with anorexia.
What is outpatient care for anorexia treatment and how is it different from inpatient care?
With outpatient care, the patient receives treatment through visits with members of their health care team. Often this means going to a doctor’s office. Outpatients usually live at home.
Some patients may need “partial hospitalization.” This means that the person goes to the hospital during the day for treatment, but sleeps at home at night.
Sometimes, the patient goes to a hospital and stays there for treatment. This is called inpatient care. After leaving the hospital, the patient continues to get help from her health care team and becomes an outpatient.
Can women who had anorexia in the past still get pregnant?
It depends. When a woman has “active anorexia,” meaning she currently has anorexia, she does not get her period and usually does not ovulate. This makes it hard to get pregnant. Women who have recovered from anorexia and are at a healthy weight have a better chance of getting pregnant. If you’re having a hard time getting pregnant, see your doctor.
Can anorexia hurt a baby when the mother is pregnant?
Yes. Women who have anorexia while they are pregnant are more likely to lose the baby. If a woman with anorexia doesn’t lose the baby, she is more likely to have the baby early, deliver by C-section, deliver a baby with a lower birthweight, and have depression after the baby is born.
What should I do if I think someone I know has anorexia?
If someone you know is showing signs of anorexia, you may be able to help.
Set a time to talk. Set aside a time to talk privately with your friend. Make sure you talk in a quiet place where you won’t be distracted.
Tell your friend about your concerns. Be honest. Tell your friend about your worries about her or his not eating or over exercising. Tell your friend you are concerned and that you think these things may be a sign of a problem that needs professional help.
Ask your friend to talk to a professional. Your friend can talk to a counselor or doctor who knows about eating issues. Offer to help your friend find a counselor or doctor and make an appointment, and offer to go with her or him to the appointment.
Avoid conflicts. If your friend won’t admit that she or he has a problem, don’t push. Be sure to tell your friend you are always there to listen if she or he wants to talk.
Don’t place shame, blame, or guilt on your friend. Don’t say, “You just need to eat.” Instead, say things like, “I’m concerned about you because you won’t eat breakfast or lunch.” Or, “It makes me afraid to hear you throwing up.”
Don’t give simple solutions. Don’t say, “If you’d just stop, then things would be fine!”
Let your friend know that you will always be there no matter what.
Adapted from “What Should I Say? Tips for Talking to a Friend Who May Be Struggling with an Eating Disorder” from the National Eating Disorders Association.
More information on anorexia nervosa
For more information about anorexia nervosa, call womenshealth.gov at 800-994-9662 (TDD: 888-220-5446) or contact the following organizations:
Academy for Eating Disorders
Phone: 847-498-4274
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
Phone: 847-831-3438
National Eating Disorders Association
Phone: 800-931-2237
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIH, HHS
Phone: 866-615-NIMH (6464)
National Mental Health Information Center, SAMHSA, HHS
Phone: 800-789-2647
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Thank you for reading my book. Writing is a full time job for an indie, and I couldn’t do what I love without you. Shoot me an email at foofighterfanatic@gmail.com if you liked this book. It gets lonely in the writing cave with nothing but fictional characters for company. I would love to hear from you. And if you really want to make my day put up a review on whatever retailer you used to purchase this book.
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Keep reading and rocking,
Michelle Mankin
SCANDALOUS BEAT
a main accent or rhythmic unit in music or poetry; a pulsation of the heart.
Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it.
– Confucius
PROLOGUE
Miriam
“Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-browed night;