Merete Aasen

“Don’t you always. He did. Porque así fue la suerte. Nothing worth wanting came easy; nothing worth wanting was ever given to men of dust and sweat.”
― Isabel Cañas, Vampires of El Norte

“Is that why you’re down here now? Is this your youthful rebellion? Running away from home?” “It’s not much of a rebellion, right?” “It’s pretty good, given the circumstances.” “What was yours?” “God it feels like a long time ago. I didn’t really have one, I don’t think. I couldn’t; I was too busy looking after my sisters.” “Oh.” “Any rebellion I had was just this … quiet anger. Always swallowed down.” “Who were you angry with?” I recall those painful years. Feeling either invisible to her or hated by her. “My mum,” I say.”
― Charlotte McConaghy, Wild Dark Shore

“I know what a spouse becomes. A whole world. So much a part of your life you couldn’t untangle yourself from them even if you wanted to. I would have done anything for her.”
― Charlotte McConaghy, Wild Dark Shore

“After Gemma died, Flora couldn’t bear to think of the cleaner who scooped their carelessly discarded bikinis from the floor. The mother who must have been engulfed in grief. Nor did she dare think of Pete, who’d lost a sister. Lauren’s breakdown – although no adult ever named it, fearful it would be catching among teen girls, like suicide or anorexia – was a warning of what happened if you dwelled on dead people rather than parties, festivals and boyfriends. Grief was gluey and dangerous. You could get stuck in it.”
― Eve Chase, The Birdcage