“But if I can't change something, I don't waste energy on it.”

“Laurel, I hope you find something like this, a little self-destructive habit you can turn to every once in a while, when you’re tired of being good. It will keep you sane.”

“But even if that were true, I was working hard. I didn’t know how not to.”

“i've found that letting something stay broken for a little while helps me understand it.”

“The only thing I knew for sure at that moment was that David would be back.If I was gone when that happened, would he leave again? For good?David, do you know that’s a chance I can’t take?”

“I don’t know, Laurel,” said David, and I loved how he said my name, like he enjoyed it.”

“I quickly imagined that I could reach my hand into my chest, yank out that awful feeling, place it on an invisibl ecloud of air right in front of me, then push it away. Push it away”