Final Task
What is your full name?
Annabel Lee Nash
How old are you?
24
Relationship status?
Currently single and not really looking. After my breakup with Daniel I realized that I needed some time away from romantic relationships to kind of just really understand what it is I’m really looking for in  partner other than someone to just fill the void of my parents. Although I do believe we had something really good and would consider being with him again which would be great for Kolby.
Do you have any children? Names? If none, do you plan on having any?
I have a son with Daniel, Kolby Edward Grace. His middle name is to honor both is Grandpa and Uncle who were taken from us way too soon.
Where do you live?
I live in Charleston now. I needed to get away from New Quinton so I could finally breathe and start my life but I didn’t want to go too far for the sake of Kolby; he needs his father.
What do you think of New Quinton?
I try to think of New Quinton as little as possible these days, though it’s hard when I’m driving there every weekend to take Kolby to his fathers. To me, New Quinton is still my personal hell. I still see the judgment on the faces of the people who have always looked down on me and it still hurts. None of my close friends that I loved seem to be around anymore so it makes it that much harder. But I feel like a part of me will always feel like that it’s home despite everything that happened. Despite all the drama and the bad times it’s where I grew up and it’ll always be a part of me.
When was the last time you were home? If you never moved away, why not?
Last weekend. I made the choice to move out of town for the sake of my sanity and to better myself and I feel like it’d be unfair to make Daniel come get Kolby all the time when it was my choice leave.
Do you miss home? If you never moved away, are you glad you stayed?
Some nights when I’m lying in bed and thinking I start to miss it a little but I think it’s more the people. I find myself missing Abel and Marcy more than I probably should but they were my world during the really hard times and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss Daniel most nights. Other than that though, I don’t really think I miss anything about the town. I certainly don’t miss the life I used to live, that’s for sure and I’m glad I’ve finally grown out of it and realized that I can have a decent life despite everything that had happened.
Who were your closest friends five years ago? Do you still talk to any of them now?
Oh, God. Marcy and Abel for sure. I fell out of touch with Marcy when Daniel and I started getting serious and I still feel really badly about that because she really was my ride or die but I know deep down that if we were to reconnect it’d be like we never stopped talking. I talk to Abel on a daily basis, after all he is my adopted family. Out of every in New Quinton I see him the most, spend all of our holiday’s at the Haye’s family gatherings. And God, is he great to Kolby! And even though it was really, really, rough at times (especially towards the end), I would be lying if I said Alec wasn’t in my top three. We had a lot of issues but in the end he always put up with me and my antics and I was too deep in my own world to see that all he was doing was trying to protect and care for me, but I haven’t talked to him in years.
How have you changed in the past five years?
I don’t even know where to start. I’m clean now. That probably has to be the biggest one. I smoke before bed and when I wake up to help with my insomnia, anxiety, and depression because I’m afraid to take any pills because I’m terrified of messing up and becoming addicted again but other than that I don’t even drink alcohol anymore. For a while I was real bad into heroin and other drugs. I was doing everything and anything I could get my hands on because I genuinely felt like I didn’t deserve to be alive anymore and that my actions had made me into a monster. Unlike five years ago, not even that, three years ago; I actually have control over my life and make thoughtful choices. When I became pregnant is when I started to take therapy seriously and first got clean. Going cold turkey when you’re an alcoholic, heroin, pill, and coke addict is the scariest and hardest thing anyone could go through and I wouldn’t wish that pain on my worst enemy. I got my GED and then began studying art. I’m working towards my fine arts and art history major right now and make a living through my art and freelance modeling. I knew I had to get clean and become a better person for not only my son but for myself. I realized I was no better than my parents and in order to give Kolby the love he deserves I had to do a complete 180 and believe it or not, Daniel was my biggest support through it all, besides Abel of course. The last couple of years have been the hardest of my life without a doubt but it was all worth it to see the smile of my son every day when I wake up. I couldn’t have done it without him.
Do you miss who you used to be?
Not at all. I’ve learned how to live with and deal with my mental illness and now that I have control over that and can see how I was hurting myself and the people I love, I could never look back and miss that person. I can’t change who I was in the past but only make a better me for the future and that’s all I’m working towards. I’ll never be that lost and scared girl ever again.Â
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Hopefully running my own art studio. Even though I’m completely free of my parents in every aspect, I still get money from them through a trust fund that was set up for me when I was born and although at the moment all of that goes to the ASPCA, I might use a portion from it to buy a little shop. I see myself doing everything and anything I can to make sure Kolby has the life I never had and always wanted growing up and to make sure he always has two loving parents no matter what. I don’t necessarily see myself with anyone but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen either but for now I’m primarily focused on continuing to better myself and my family.
Other Things About Annabel in the Last Five Years:
She still has all of her pets and Phillip is Kolby’s personal guard dog.
Art is her way of venting more now than ever and puts all of herself into her work which usually sells as soon as she restocks her online store so she’s made quite a name of herself.Â
She sold the house that she bought for herself and Marcy and used that money plus money from the money her Grandpa left for her to buy a house in Charleston.Â
Because of her relationship with Daniel, Annabel and Charlie are on much better terms and can be in the same room as each other and actually converse like civil people.Â
Abel is still her lifeline and biggest support system as she is his.Â
Shortly after she became pregnant, she found out that her mother was drinking through her entire pregnancy with her little brother, Barron, who suffered from FAS and is now wrapped up in a lengthy battle to try to get custody from her mother. Her father still wants nothing to do with either of his children.Â
 Her Nonna passed away a year after Kolby was born which rocked her hard and caused a brief relapse but with the help of Abel, his family, and Daniel, she was able to quickly get back on track.Â
