“The point is to keep trying new things, meeting new people, visiting new places. Once you settle into a rut, no matter how fun that rut may seem, you stagnate. You might as well be dead.”

“I read as many novels as you do. Maybe more. I'm just not sure I want to write one.”

“I wonder sometimes, though, does this collective rating of memories add value to our existence here? Do certain parts of people's pasts deserve to be remembered while others are forgotten?”

“At this rate I'll soon be completely buried, like a cursed princess trapped in the bottom of an hourglass.”

“Yes, I've lost him. But I don't have to lose myself.”

“I'm not uptight. I'm conscientious. There's a difference.”

“But as his warmth soaks into me, and he hugs me tighter, I find myself hoping he'll never let go. I close my eyes and press my cheek against his, skin on skin.”