I like French fries," I say. I like French fries? I sound like a slow child in a made-for-TV movie.

I'm not sure this is a world I belong in anymore. I'm not sure that I want to wake up.

I can’t imagine what it would be like to have had her company in my head—the comfort that would’ve brought.

It's not that people like sad movies that make us feel like, "Oh, my god, what a bummer." We like emotionally moving experiences, where you feel like a slightly different person and you see the world a little different, after you finish. It lets you see your own life, in a different way, and it actually makes you feel really good. And even though there might be sad content making this happen, the feeling that you're left with is one that is quite good, quite hopeful, clarifying and uplifting.

What would you do if you had to choose?

Letting go. Everyone talks about it like it's the easiest thing. Unfurl your fingers one by one until your hand is open.

There’s a difference between losing something you knew you had and losing something you discovered you had. One is a disappointment. The other feels like losing a piece of yourself.