“But I miss the woman I was, even as I learn to accept the new creature I’ve become.”

“Sometimes I miss the old me.”

“I found it curious that people kept animals for companionship and not food. When I'd asked Mama Oaks when she planned to cook the fat creature that slept in a basket in the kitchen, her eyes almost popped out of her head. Since then, she'd kept her pet away from me, like she suspected I meant to turn it into stew. Clearly, I had a lot to learn.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen your handwriting before. It’s an oddly personal thing, isn’t it?”

“I’ve lost so many people. Some I left on purpose and never looked back. Some were taken from me, and I never said good-bye.”

“I couldn't help what I'd done before I learned it was wrong. I could only do better in the future.”

“You could miss someone, but it did no good to fixate on loss. I wished I had the ready words of a Breeder or the ability to comfort with a soft touch. I didn't. Instead I had daggers and determination.That would have to do.”