I looked at my reflection in the rearview mirror. Some lipstick would go with this truck, I thought.

I thought: Just one step. One step at a time. You don’t have to do them all at once.

I do my best thinking at night when everyone else is sleeping. No interruptions. No noise. I like the feeling of being awake when no one else is.

I just sat there letting that music cover me like a big, cozy blanket.

I looked at my reflection in the rearview mirror. Some lipstick would go with this truck, I thought.

I learned that there is good in this world, if you look hard enough for it. I learned that not everyone is disappointing, including me, and that a 1,257 bump in the ground can feel higher than a bell tower if you're standing next to the right person.

I remember running down a road on my way to a nursery of flowers. I remember her smile and her laugh when I was my best self and she looked at me like I could do no wrong and was whole. I remember how she looked at me the same way even when I wasn't. I remember her hand in mine and how that felt, as if something and someone belonged to me.