We do the best we can," she said softly, looking inward. "And punish ourselves for it. I've tried to make my choices with the idea that I've made those choices for the greatest good. Sometimes someone suffers in the process, but I made the decision for the right reason. That should count for something, shouldn't it?

Family was a fertile breeding ground for the kind of psychological bacteria that warped minds and devoured hope.

The world isn't black and white, Annie, it's shades of grey.

We never know the quality of someone else's life, though we seldom resist the temptation to assume and pass judgement.

They don't matter. I thought I had to prove something, and I did, to myself. There's nothing left for me to prove. I can move on with my life.

But then I had long mistaken being spoiled for being strong, being defiant for being independent, being reckless for being brave.

I'm telling you, you did what you believed you had to do through all of this. Not what was easiest or best for you. You did what you did, and you're owning it. And I don't know ten men who would be brave enough to do that.