absence can be present, like a damaged nerve, like a dark bird

In the dim light of the computer screen he seemed otherworldly; Julia thought him beautiful, though she knew it was the beauty of damage.

I guess no matter what your family is like, you're not surprised.

There are several ways to react to being lost. One is to panic: this was usually Valentina's first impulse. Another is to abandon yourself to lostness, to allow the fact that you've misplaced yourself to change the way you experience the world.

I'm at a loss because I am in love with a man who is standing before me with no memories of me at all. (Time Traveler's Wife)

I look at him, look at the book, remember, this book, this moment, the first book I ever loved

I don't want to boss anyone and I don't want to be bossed.