“We're your safe place, El. Me and Elise. The guys. We're your family. You don't need to pull lattes. You have your degree, you have a great job and you'll take the crappy part of your past and use that to help people get to the good part of their future.”

“You know, El, you're so much more than the time you were with Bill and the attack. You took something shitty and you made a new future. Most people don't do that. They hang on forever. It's easy to stay in that pit of despair. Or let it be your excuse for not moving on.”

“friends will sit your ass down and give you the 'Come To Jesus' talk when you need it most.”

“I know your game, you know. You get nasty when you're backed into a corner.”

“I hope you find a place in your life when you can let go and be happy. But I’m not a dirty secret. I’m not bad and wrong for being comfortable with myself, and I won’t let you make me feel that way.”

“Facing the fear helped. Most days. But the thing about fear was that it ate away at your reason, made you smaller.It was her mini dare each day to come home to this place. To embrace normal and live her own life on her own terms, even if she was afraid. Her life was her own. She made it, and no one would take it from her again.”

“Hi there! You’re cute. Do you have any girlfriends? ‘Cause Gran says Momma needs a man in her life. Then Pops says, ‘Pfft, Martine, the last thing Elise needs is a man!’ But I think my Gran is right.”“Rennie, for tonight, let’s play the think-about-what-we-say-before-we-say-it-game.”