Dreams are always crushing when they don't come true. But it's the simple dreams that are often the most painful because they seem so personal, so reasonable, so attainable. You're always close enough to touch, but never quite close enough to hold and it's enough to break your heart.

Comfort and familiarity were wonderful but they also dulled passion and excitement. Predictability and habit made surprises almost impossible.

The first thing I did when I sold my book was buy a new wedding ring for my wife and asked her to marry me all over again.

I just tell people what they already know but are afraid to admit to themselves.

That he would love her no matter what she told him, and that he was the kind of man who loved her already and would love her forever.

If relationships were hard, mariage was even harder... it seemed like most couples struggled. It went with the territory. What did Nana always say? Stick two different people with two different sets of expectations under one roof and it ain't always going to be shrimp and grits on Easter.

There was no pretention here, no hidden meanings in the phrases they spoke, no elaborate plans designed to impress the other. Though it had always been easy to spend time with Mike, she suddenly realized that in the whirlwind of the past couple of weeks, she'd almost forgot how much she enjoyed it.