Abby

“Just forgive yourself, it’s too exhausting not to.”
― Holly Brickley, Deep Cuts

“I know you deserve the glory, Joe,' I said finally, quietly.
'But it still makes you mad.'
'It does,' I admitted. 'And jealous. I can't help that. The jealousy was what tipped me over the edge that night at the wedding. It was always there. I will always be jealous of you.'
'Fine. I will always be inspired by you, even when you tell me not to be,' he said.
'And I will always be critical of you too. I can't stand it when you don't live up to your talent.'
'And I will always be destroyed by your criticism.”
― Holly Brickley, Deep Cuts

“He sent out a large stream of smoke, still nodding, and held the cigarette up to share. I took it for the intimacy, for the moment when my fingers ran up along the backs of his. He turned up the volume until it felt like the whole porch was swallowed in the atmosphere of the song, teetering amid the shuffling brush-drumming and bending guitar notes. The lyrics were about music's almost supernatural power to make you feel, but only at the whims of memory and experience: a song never made the narrator happy until he danced to it with her, and now when he hears it, much later, it makes him lonely. I had the sense of my own memory packaging up this moment, absorbing and capturing its every element: the cold smoky air, the side of his leg against mine, the feel of his knuckles under my fingertips.”
― Holly Brickley, Deep Cuts

“Her worst brought out the best in him, but she wanted it better. And every time she found perfection, he was always better.”
― Holly Brickley, Deep Cuts