There is a way to be good again.

I shook my head no. For minutes, neither of us spoke a word. It breathed between us, what he had said, the pain of a life suppressed, of happiness never to be.

Quiet is turning down the volume knob on life.

Though there were moments of beauty, Mariam knew for the most part that life had been unkind to her.

I think he loved us equally, but differently.

It was you Nabi. It was always you. Didn't you know?

You're gutless. It's how you were made. And that's not such a bad thing because your saving grace is that you've never lied to yourself about it. Not about that. Nothing wrong with cowardice as long as it comes with prudence. But when a coward stops remembering who he is... God help him.