She smelled like England, of soft rain and sun-kissed meadows. And she felt like the best kind of heaven. He wanted to wrap himself around, bury himself within her, and stay there for all of his days. He hadn’t had a drop to drink in three years, but he was intoxicated now, bubbling with a lightness he’d never thought to feel again.

Just be quiet and accept the praise.

This has to be the most self-centered thing I've ever said, but no, I think you just wanted to vex me.

Don't settle. Know what you want and reach for it. And if you don't know what you want, be patient. The answers will come to you in time, and you may find that your heart s desire has been right under your nose all the while.

Am I not allowed to have my pride? Or is that an emotion reserved for the elite?

I had to do something," she said. "I couldn't just sit and wait for life to happen to me any longer.

It was funny, he reflected later, how one’s life could alter in an instant, how one minute everything could be a certain way, and the next it’s simply ... not