“In a sense, I'm the one who ruined me: I did it myself.”

“I did what I had to do in that moment, and I'm proud of myself for it. I was hurting, yes, and maybe I overreacted, and but I can still feel, so there's hope for me. The one's who've forgotten how to feel, those are the ones who are lost.”

“In it she told me, "Thanks a lot! I'm ruined - gloriously ruined." I nodded with sudden understanding. "that's it - that describes what has happened to me." I was ruined for life as I had known it before, but gloriously ruined!”

“I'm a quirky, intelligent, dark haired chick!   Me, me, me, pick me!   And who the hell keeps whining and ruining my perfect moment?   I will cut a bitch.”

“I’ve blamed her for all of this, for leaving, for ruining me. And maybe that was the seed of it, but from that one little seed grew this tumor of a flowering plant. And I’m the one who nurtures it. I water it. I care for it.I nibble from its poison berries. I let it wrap around my neck, choking the air right out of me. I’ve done that. All by myself. All to myself.”

“I was me, I was Flavia. And I loved myself, even if no one else did.”