Why did she give up wine for Lent? Polly was more sensible. She had given up strawberry jam. Cecilia had never seen Polly show more than a passing interest in strawberry jam, although now, of course, she was always catching her standing at the open fridge, staring at it longingly. The power of denial.

Just because a marriage ended didn't mean that it hadn't been happy at times.

She longed to feel something momentous. Sometimes her life seemed so little.

It was like she was thinking, How far can I go with this? How much more can I fit in my life without losing control?

They say it's good to let your grudges go, but I don't know, I'm quite fond of my grudge. I tend it like a little pet.

They would think she was savoring the taste (blueberries, cinnamon, cream-excellent), but she was actually savoring the whole morning, trying to catch it, pin it down, keep it safe before all those precious moments became yet another memory.

There were worse things to be than sexist. For example, you could be the sort of person who pinched your fingers together while using the words “teeny weeny.