You get through it, you just never get over it

On the surface, we're polar opposites. Under the skin, though, we're the same: people think they know what they're getting, and they're always wrong.

Being a good mother, it seemed to me, meant you ran the risk of losing your child.

I became a firefighter because I wanted to save people. But I should have been more specific. I should have named names.

The best relationships were the ones where both sides went out of their way to make sure the other wasn't disappointed.

When she wanted to escape her life, she read books

May I ask you something?" I say. "Why do you read books, when you could be outside, living a million different adventures every day?" "Because you can always count on a book to stay the same. EVerything else changes when you least expect it," she replies, bitter. "Families split apart, and nothing's forever. In books, you always know what's coming next. There are no surprises.