“I swear he is there,his arms outstretched,the waterfall beneath him,cascading into thecool bluewater below.Go on, Ava. It’s going to be great!It’s not a dare.Not this time.But it’s almost like I’m on that high dive again,scared of what comes next,yet knowing at the same timeit will all be okay.”

“What's your favorite movie?...that should be our question. When we don't know what to say. Movies are a safe topic. What's wrong with the standard 'how's it going?' because all you get is 'Okay' or 'Fine', and then what? You're back where you started. It's a useless question. Like anyone is going to tell you how it's really going.”

“Many times when I read a book, I want to savor each word, each phrase, each page, loving the prose so much, I don’t want it to end. Other times the story pulls me in, and I can hardly read fast enough, the details flying by, some of them lost because all that matters is making sure the character is all right when it’s over.”

“That’s my girl.Live a good life, Ava.”

“Memories fall like snowflakes upon my dreams. The snowflakes toss and tumble, each different and yet the same.”

“When he opens the door, I step in and an army of memories comes at me from all sides.”

“Guilt reminds me of a stray cat. You chase it away and yet, it comes back when you least expect it. If you let yourself feel pity for it and feed the thing, it parks its ugly, puny, lonely-for-attention butt on your doormat and won't go away. Scat kitty cat, scat. I don't need you sitting around here like that.”