annet

“But insincerity is easy. Bullshitting your way through things is easy. It doesn't require any emotional attachment; there aren't any stakes involved. It can't hurt you, because you never believed in any of it anyway.

But telling the truth—saying exactly what you mean, how you feel, to the people you care about most... That's one of the hardest things in the world. Because you have to trust them. Trust that they won't hurt you, even when they have the power to.”
― Ann Liang, This Time It's Real

“I want to get good grades. Graduate. Get a job in whichever field my strengths lie."
His brows furrow, like he doesn't quite believe me. "Not what you're passionate about?" he asks delicately.
I lift my chin. "I'm passionate about being good at things." There's a defensive edge in my voice, and Mr. Chen must hear it. He drops the subject.
"Well, all right then. I suppose I should let you go to lunch..."
"Thanks, Mr. Chen."
But as I turn to leave, he adds, very quietly, "You're still a kid, you know."
I falter. "what?"
His eyes are kind, almost sad when he looks at me. "Even if it doesn't feel that way now, you're still only a kid." He shakes his head. "you're too young to be this hardened by the world. You should be free to dream. To hope.”
― Ann Liang, If You Could See the Sun

“I think we all wear armor. I think those who don’t are fools, risking the pain of being wounded by the sharp edges of the world, over and over again. But if I’ve learned anything from those fools, it is that to be vulnerable is a strength most of us fear. It takes courage to let down your armor, to welcome people to see you as you are.”
― Rebecca Ross, Divine Rivals

“Maybe you can talk about how... I don't know, how his laughter sounds. If it's rougher in the mornings, or lower on the phone, or how he always tips his head back when he finds something funny. How—how you can only see his dimples when he smiles at something real. How you're jealous of everyone who loves him, who knew him before you did.”
― Ann Liang, This Time It's Real