The doorbell rang, and Diane groaned. She had just gotten into the best position on the couch, which is the one that made her look like she just fell from a ten story apartment. Maybe it was some solicitor and they’d go away. The doorbell rang again and she cried on the inside that she couldn’t avoid getting up when it rang a third time.

“Mom!” said a young adult outside. “Mom, are you home?”

Diane got up a bit quickly and walked over to the door. She opened it and greeted her son with a smile.

“Ben!” Diane exclaimed. “You should’ve told me you were coming over!”

“But… I… did…?” he said. Diane checked her phone and saw a text from Ben from two hours ago. It was about coming over to talk.

“Whoops! I missed that. Well, come on in.” She let Ben in and shut the door behind them as she went back to the couch. “How’s college treating you?”

“Oh um, it’s ok…” he said. Ben had a backpack on, and he set it down as he took a seat in a chair.

“Anything going on?”

“Well uh, where’s Dad?” he asked.

“Oh, Kevin’s out getting groceries. He wouldn’t let me get them again after last time.”

“What happened last time?”

“Well he gave me a list and I came back with only coffee and- That doesn’t matter. You don’t come in person a lot anymore. What’s up?”

“Well um…”

“Ben,” Diane laughed. “Relax, please. College made you jumpy.”

“Hehe, yeah I guess it did,” he giggled. “But I’m actually here to ask for something, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“What do you need?”

Ben took out his phone and went to the voice recorder app.

“I’m looking to write my first book, and I want you to tell me a story.”

Diane looked at him in confused silence.

“Um… you want me to tell you how your book goes?”

“No no, it’s a story only you can tell,” he said uncomfortably. “I want to uh, share your story about anorexia.”

“Oh…” Diane thought about it more. “OH- You want to write about how I developed it?!”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I’ll uh, change the names of course, but I want to spread your story, you know?”

“Are… you sure, Ben?” she asked awkwardly. “I mean, you could write about one of those funny characters you made up as a kid.”

“I want to write something real,” he said. “Something that’ll give some emotion and well… maybe something to spread good word. If you’re ok with it, that is,” he quickly added.

“Well… where do you want to start?” she asked.

“At the beginning?” he shrugged.

“Well then,” Diane said, sitting up. Ben hit the record button on the phone. “I’ve always been a morning person, but some things are too much of a hassle to wake up for, you know? School was one of them.”