“Of course I remember. I traded a lifetime of servitude for a box of conversation hearts. That's not something I'm likely to forget.”

“I was not allowed to think of him. That was something I tried to be very strict about. Of course I slipped; I was only human. But I was getting better, and so the pain was something I could avoid for days at a time now. The trade-off was the never-ending numbness. Between pain and nothing, I'd chosen nothing.”

“I'm not a child, Dad. And I'm not grounded anymore, remember?''Oh yes, you are. Starting now.''For what?''Because I said so.''Do I need to remind you that I'm a legal adult, Charlie?''This is my house, you follow my rules!'My glare turned icy. ' If that's hoe you want it. Do you want my to move out tonight? Or can I have a few days to pack?'Charlie's face went bright red. I instantly felt horrible for playing the move-out card.I took a deep breath and tried to make my tone more reasonable. 'I'll do my time without complaining when I've done something wrong, Dad, but I'm not going to put up with your prejudices.”

“The way I feel about you will never change. Of course I love you—and there's nothing you can do about it!”“That's all I needed to hear.”

“I always say too much when I'm talking to you--- that's one of the problems....”

“Forever," he vowed, still a little staggered. "That's all I'm asking for," I said,”

“Forbidden to remember, terrified to forget; it was a hard line to walk.”