Jenn Malzone

“Franny gave her sister a tired smile. 'Oh, my love', she said. 'What do the only children do?'
'We'll never have to know', Caroline said.”
― Ann Patchett, Commonwealth

“You can't force a person to show up, but you can learn a lesson when they don't”
― Emily Henry, Funny Story

“His sheer presence made a room feel warmer, made me feel like I'd been blessed. I understood exactly why people wanted to be near him, like he was kind of talisman...I knew firsthand that after talking to him, I didn't feel lonely at all. My body felt more at ease, my thoughts happier. I felt like life might yet have good things in store for me. And it wasn't a heady, unmoored feeling, but a quiet, rolling wave.
This feels good, I thought. I'm just happy he's here. I don't need him to be mine. I wanted to appreciate him the way I did giant trees in the park, which gave people shelter and relief but didn't belong to anybody. Since I'd always assumed he was something to be shared, to me he was akin to cake, or a hot spring, or good music, a steady presence I could rely on to be there when I needed to catch my breath.”
― Banana Yoshimoto, Dead-End Memories: Stories

“I'd catch Makoto gazing at me dreamily, with his big clear eyes and his surprisingly thick brows drawn into a neat line, and I would know that he was looking at the glow of my soul, or whatever it was.
Then all of a sudden, I would feel free from all the anxieties that weighed on my mind...by a strong, bright, rose-colored light.
It was only much later that I learned the light came from me, and what Makoto had done was to be its witness and protector.”
― Banana Yoshimoto, Dead-End Memories: Stories