Another secret of the universe: Sometimes pain was like a storm that came out of nowhere. The clearest summer could end in a downpour. Could end in lightning and thunder.

Mostly, I think people are fake. Well, what do you expect? The fake world we live in conspires to make us all fakes.

Another secret of the universe: Sometimes pain was like a storm that came out of nowhere. The clearest summer could end in a downpour. Could end in lightning and thunder.

Absent parents aren't abusive per se. They're neglectful. They love in a very imperfect way. There are parents like that, and they do love their daughters and sons, but they're not parents in the way that we might think of it.

The heart can get really cold if all you've known is winter.

But love was always something heavy for me. Something I had to carry.

The summer sun was not meant for boys like me. Boys like me belonged to the rain.