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.

She wanted him to see all of her and also none of her. She wanted him to be dazzled by the bits and blinded by the whole. She wanted him to see her whole and not in pieces. She had hopes that were hard to satisfy.

When there is nothing, there is the possibility of everything.

Love who you love while you have them. That's all you can do. Let them go when you must. If you know how to love, you'll never run out.

She had never had a boy talk to her like that. There was no cover of bullshit, no flirtation, no added charm, but his look was searing. He was different from anyone she had known.

His distress and pleasure mixed and married, giving birth to several anxious children.

You thought you had the choice to stay still or move forward, but your didn't. As long as your heart kept pumping an your blood kept blowing and your lungs kept filling, you didn't. The pang she felt for Tibby carried something like envy. You couldn't stand still for anything short of death, and God knew she had tried.