“but it was hard to give the real world much notice when he was this close.”

“She wanted him to notice her so much.”

“But she knew from long-ago experience that when you were uncertain and if you were courageous enough to let her in, a real friend could do a world of good.”

“She couldn’t hide from everyone for the rest of her life… Well she could. That was the direction things were going. But she knew from long-ago experience that when you were uncertain and if you were courageous enough to let her in a real friend could do a world of good.”

“He could take happiness from her, but could he give any?”

“Lena knew she had spent too much of her life in a state of passive dread, just waiting for something bad to happen. In a life like that, relief was as close as you got to happiness. ”

“Lena realized that a fundamental layer of their happiness depended on the four of them being close to one another. Their lives were independent and full. Their friendship was only one aspect of their lives, but it seemed to give meaning to all the others.”