You couldn't give up you for them. But what if you wanted them more than you wanted a singular powerful you?

I always thought it was what I wanted: to be loved and admired. Now I think perhaps I'd like to be known.

At one point, she'd wanted to hurl the whole breakfast at the wall. And then she'd remember why it was that men had temper tantrums and women didn't: cleanup.

The at-home mother's life: it was a race with no finish line.

but sometimes one person can hold you up in life, keep you standing, and without that hand to hold, you can find yourself free-falling no matter how strong you used to be, no matter how hard you try to remain steady.

Caro: "Bite me." Ruby: "I gave that up in kindergarten.

Then he left her there, standing alone, surrounded by word ghosts; things she could have said.