Kelly

“What a mystery it was to me then: how she knew what temperature to keep the room overnight and what to dress the babies in so they’d be warm but not overly so, how she knew when to give paracetamol for a fever, and what times they needed to sleep depending on how old they were, and when to bring them into our beds for cuddles and when to be strict about sleep skills, and what the fuck sleep skills are, and not to use soap in their baths, and to try olive oil for the cradle cap, and which foods were safe for starting solids, and exactly how to serve them. How did she know all of this? It must have been built in, that’s what I thought. When Orly came along and it was just me, I realized how she’d known. She’d fucking learned. She’d had to, because somebody had to keep the babies alive, and so she bloody well got on with it.”
― Charlotte McConaghy, Wild Dark Shore

“That the beginning and the end may have been chosen for us, the string already spun, but the middle had always been left undetermined, to be woven and shaped by us.”
― Nikki Erlick, The Measure

“The world is full of miracles, but none greater than how far a young person can be carried by someone else’s belief in them.”
― Fredrik Backman, My Friends

“I think I'll stick around as a defense attorney for a while yet,' I said.
'Why? Look at all this has cost you, Eddie. Why do it?'
I wasn't even looking at Harry, but I could sense be already knew the answer.
'Because I can. Because I have to. Because there will always be the Art Pryors and Rudy Carps of this business. Somebody's gotta do the right thing.'
'It doesn't always have to be you,' said Harry.
'What if everyone said that? What if nobody stood up for anyone because they expected the other guy to do it? Somebody has to be standing on the other side of the line. And if I fall, somebody will have to come along and take my place. All I have to do is keep standing for as long as I can.”
― Steve Cavanagh, Th1rt3en