This is what daughters did. They left, and came home later with lives of their own.

I wanted to tell him so. Find the right words, string them together in the ideal way, knowing that here they would have the best chance of sounding perfect.

But unfriendly is usually one of those things you pick up on right away. You know, like B.O. There's no hiding it if it's there.

I don't get it,' Caroline said, bemused. 'She's the only one with wings. Why is that?' There were so many questions in life. You couldn't ever have all the answers. But I knew this one. It's so she can fly,' I said. Then I started to run.

Your mother won a special reward," she told me, "because everyone had a head in her pictures. We all applauded.

Failing sucks. But it's better than the alternative." "Which is?" "Not even trying." Now he did look at me, straight on. "Life's short, you know?

She stroked my hair and told me I was beautiful, but I was old enough by then to know not to believe it anymore.