Because she was raw and uncertain, and she liked to keep all the messy parts of herself to herself. ... As much as Lena liked to hide the mess and display the finished product, by this point she was all mess and no product.

She kept walking. The very small, brave part of her brain knew that this would be her one chance. If she turned around, she would lose it.

Women always seemed to bring the size they wished they were to the fitting room, rather than the size that would actually fit.

I did love her. I've loved her from the first time I saw her.

A loving soul was always more beautiful over the long haul, but actual prettiness was fleeting.

Marnie loved her better and more honestly than anyone else in the world, with the possible exception of her mother, who loved her intensely if not honestly.

For some reason our lives were marked by summers. . . . Summer was the time when our lives joined completely, when we all had our birthdays, when really important things happened