The debris of her married life was enough to sever the tie between reality and dreams, the fine line between desire and temptation. Where did she draw the line? When did she admit defeat and surrender?

Expectations led to disappointments; in this family, expecting more than disappointment was the first mistake

Death was easy. Life was complicated.

In hindsight, the grand hero ideal she always thought he encompassed chipped away and all that remained was a cheap imitation. He embodied everything she’d hidden from in her adolescence. Boyfriends, relationships, and sex all led to disaster. Being alone was better than shattered and broken like mother: disenchanted with the life she’d been forced into.

She counted her blessings, rather than her misfortunes.

If she were honest, weakness should be masked at all times. Any weakness could, and would be exploited.