Phyllis *the distractible > Recent Status Updates

…, and the heart only took chances the brain would not. Thankfully, I’d always been a realist and usually reacted to the latter’s cues.

Phew, the tension.

A certain reality settled on me: I didn’t have a spellbinding love story to bring to this world. The honest truth was, I only forced myself to enjoy tragic endings because I knew mine wouldn’t be far apart.

Living in naivety wasn’t my style, no matter how much I disliked the truth.

I wasn’t ready to jump headfirst into the world as myself, didn’t know if I’d ever be.

He had a way of looking at me that made me feel like I was indecently dressed.

…he checked all the boxes I needed but didn’t want.

Wyatt raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"
"I poked the bear."
He groaned. "That sounds like you, Bree."
"And you," she retorted.
"I can't argue with that."

Maybe it was more about control than structure. Damon had been used as a pawn between his parents. They'd forgotten that they had a child who needed both of them. It had been more about winning than parenting. And Damon had not had the power to change that.

"But...it might get worse before it gets better, Sophie."
"Can it get any worse?"
"That's not a question you want to ask."

"You're an optimist. That's not a bad thing."
"It is when you're constantly getting hit in the face with reality. I'm like a cartoon character, who keeps taking a pie in the face because she can't seem to figure out when to duck."
He smiled. "You have been pretty good at ducking. And there's no way you could have predicted all this was going to happen.”

“About staying in the moment?"
"Yes."
"Easier to say than to do, but I will try. I just need to stop thinking that the good things will last, because they usually don't. Maybe if I were less optimistic, I wouldn't get hit so hard by disappointment."

"I don't know when it will stop hurting."
"It hasn't been that long, and it probably won't ever completely go away, Sophie. But you already know that…”

“He was good at compartmentalizing and letting bad memories go."
"You're good at that, too."
"It comes with the job we both did. It's hard to survive if you don't lock some things away."

“You did good back there, too, Sophie. You didn't panic."
"I didn't have time. I don't even think I was breathing.”

“I don't feel smart right now; I feel—numb."
"That will wear off. Just keep breathing. Some days that's all you can do.”

He grabbed her arm. "Stop. I promise that you will have a chance to lose it, Sophie. You'll be able to rant and rave and scream and cry—whatever you want to do, but not now. Now, we have to get to a safe place. Can you stay with me?”

“Take a breath," he said, glancing over at her.
"I just have this terrifying feeling that my life is about to change again. Not that I can even imagine how it can get any worse."
"Don't try to imagine that."
She nodded, but she couldn't help noticing that he hadn't told her everything was going to be all right

The tension between them is done just right so far *chef’s kiss

The conversations are really clever.

“…I'm treading water as fast as I can, but it wouldn't take much for me to drown. And sometimes I feel like it would be easier to let go."
He did not like that comment at all. "I'm not going to let you drown, Sophie. And you are not going to let go, because whether or not you run on emotion, you are a fighter. I've seen nothing but fight in you…

These two are smart and their interactions are cute. I hope they continue to stay smart.

“…But in all honesty, my life has never really been normal. It has its moments, sometimes years, where things seem like they're going along smoothly, and then bam—everything changes. The floor drops out from under me. You'd think I'd be used to it by now, but it always takes me by surprise. I wonder when it won't."

It would have been much easier for him, because he didn't feel close to either of his parents. Their actions had always been disappointing.
He'd been told that he'd disappointed them, too. That was probably true.

Maybe if he'd met her at another time, in a different place, things would have been different…or not.

I’m invested so far, but I hope it’s not a dumbdumb because she seems to be listening to her very important voicemails on loudspeaker. Sis, some common sense here please?

It’s the second time in as many weeks that I’ve shed tears over this woman, only this time my chest feels full instead of empty.

I'm tempted to rush in and take her in my arms, but I want to watch her, too, in case I have to commit this image to memory.

Phew, the writing.

Oh, wholesome bro moment.

I’m not normally one to drink away my problems, but numb is preferable to total fucking despair, and since our season is over, I have lots of time to be numb.