June has never looked more beautiful than she does now, unadorned and honest, vulnerable yet invincible.

He is beauty, inside and out. He is the silver lining in a world of darkness. He is my light.

I want to run. To do what I always do, have always done, for the last five years of my life. Escape, flee into the shadows. But this time, I stand my ground. I'm tired of running.

Mom used to say that having three boys was kind of like having a pet tornado that talked back.

All it takes is one generation to brainwash a population and convince them that reality doesn't exist

Then he crouches down behind it, motions for Tess and me to sit down, and begins unbuttoning his vest. I blush scarlet and thank every god in the world for the darkness surrounding us. “I’m not cold and I’m not bleeding,” I say to him. “Keep your clothes on.” The boy looks at me. I would’ve expected his bright eyes to look dimmer in the night, but instead they seem to reflect the light coming from the windows above us. He’s amused. “Who said anything about you , sweetheart?

Now you'll get to see how I can really run a building, darlin. Not even a cracked knee to hold me back, yeah? What a nice birthday present.