Looking back, I question whether I really loved Nate, or just the security of our relationship. I wonder if my feelings for him didn’t have a lot to do with hating my job. From the bar exam through that first hellish year as an associate, Nate was my escape. And sometimes that can feel an awful lot like love.

What every girl dreams of when she's dumped is - that the guy will someday feel regrest and come back and tell her all about it. And the beauty of it is you have no regrets whatsoever.

I really try to focus on my books and readers.

He nods, as if to acknowledge that endings are almost always a little sad, even when there is something to look forward to on the other side.

My wants are simple: a job that I like and a guy whom I love.

But I am learning that perfection isn't what matters. In fact, it's the very thing that can destroy you if you let it.

Surely he knows we are all watching. That I am watching. It is always that way when you are in a group and someone decides to go for a swim or walk to the water. The ocean is a giant stage. It is natural that the others watch, if only for a moment.