I wonder why bereaved people even bother with mourning clothes when the grief itself provides such an unmistakable wardrobe.

What kind of world is this? And what do you do about it? What do you do when the worst thing that can happen actually happens?

How could a mother who boils water for pasta leave two little girls behind?

The. World. Is. Not. A. Safe. Place.

... if you're someone who knows the worst thing can happen at any time, aren't you also someone who knows the best thing can happen at any time too?

Remember how it was when we kissed? Armfuls and armfuls of light thrown right at us. A rope dropping down from the sky. How can the word love and the word life even fit in the mouth?

... every available inch of his face busts into a smile - whoa. Has he blown into our school on a gust of wind from another world? The guy looks unabashedly jack-o'-lantern happy, which couldn't be more foreign to the sullen demeanor most of us strove to perfect.