“I was beautiful, or so my father told me. My oval mirror showed me a face with nothing written on it. I had suitors aplenty but wanted none of them: their doggish devotion seemed too easily won. I had an appetite for magic, even then. I wanted something improbably and perfect as a red rose just opening.”

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."Words written in red, circled by Will. And lived."Jesus, I’ve listened to the lies too long. They’ve filled my head and led me on a long chase of things that don’t matter. I bought into what Satan was feeding me until barely recognized my own face in the mirror. It took Will’s death and Lucy’s leaving to show me where my priorities should be.I want to live for you.I just . . . want to live.”

“I want to think again of dangerous and noble things. I want to be light and frolicsome. I want to be improbable beautiful and afraid of nothing, as though I had wings.”

“I told myself, 'All I want is a normal life'. But was that true? I wasn't so sure. Because there was a part of me that enjoyed hating school, and the drama of not going, the potential consequences whatever they were. I was intrigued by the unknown. I was even slightly thrilled that my mother was such a mess. Had I become addicted to crisis? I traced my finger along the windowsill. 'Want something normal, want something normal, want something normal', I told myself.”

“My own family were far from perfect, yet I thanked the Lord that I had them, even if they did sometimes make me want to kill them all.”

“And just like that, I knew what I wanted. Something I had always wanted. But it was so unrealistic it hadn’t even made it to my wish list.”