We talked about nothing in particular, but it felt like we were talking about the most important things.

It is unrealistic to think you can have an inflexible identity that never has to give or take or make compromises.

Everything else happened - why not the things that could have?

In my family, Father is the world champion at ending conversations.

Do you think I'm wonderful? she asked him one day as they leaned against the trunk of a petrified maple. No, he said. Why? Because so many girls are wonderful. I imagine hundreds of men have called their loves wonderful today, and it's only noon. You couldn't be something that hundreds of others are.

I wanted to cry but I didn't, I probably should have cried, I should have drowned us there in the room ending our suffering.

Everything is to protect you. I exist in case you need to be protected.