The police are asking through the bedroom door, why did I make a batch of strawberry daiquiris before I called them? Because we were out of raspberries. Because, can't they see, it just does not matter. Time was not of the essence.

There are worse things you can do to the people you love than kill them. The regular way is just to watch the world do it. Just read the newspaper.

After you find out all the things that can go wrong, your life becomes less about living and more about waiting.

And the more she could imagine this island, the less she liked the real world. The more she could imagine the people, the less she liked any real people.

Believe in me and die forever.

I wanted to destroy everything beautiful I'd never have.

Kids, she says. When they’re little, they believe everything you tell them about the world. As a mother, you’re the world almanac and the encyclopedia and the dictionary and the Bible, all rolled up together. But after they hit some magic age, it’s just the opposite. After that, you’re either a liar or a fool or a villain.