It’s a promise ring,” he said solemnly. “The lady at the store said it’s what you give the girl you love. It means I want to marry you someday.

They would always be a family, but if she'd learned anything in the past few weeks it was that a family wasn't a static thing. There were always changes going on. Like with continents, sometimes the changes were invisible and underground, and sometimes they were explosive and deadly. The trick was to keep your balance. You couldn't control the direction of your family any more than you could stop the continental shelf from breaking apart. All you could do was hold on for the ride.

Some stories don't have happy endings. Even love stories. Maybe especially love stories.

In the sea of grief, there were islands of grace, moments in time when one could remember what was left rather than all that had been lost.

I didn't know how...deep love ran, how it was in your blood, not your heart, and how that same blood pumped through your veins your whole life.

A daughter without her mother is a woman broken. It is a loss that turns to arthritis and settles deep into her bones.

Popularity means people think they know you.