“Your phone’s vibrating,” Scottie says. She takes my cell phone out of her pocket, the phone she has stolen from me to text her friend. She doesn’t even care that she has disobeyed. She doesn’t care that she said “finger-fucked” in front of me. It’s as though I’m not a father. I don’t recognize the number, so I don’t answer.… — Kaui Hart Hemmings Copy Share
“I wouldn’t know what to do with daughters,' he says. 'Exchange them for sons?' 'But then I could wind up with something… — Kaui Hart Hemmings Copy Share Image
“I had to ask Scottie what TYVM meant, because now that I’ve narrowed into her activities, I notice she is constantly text-messaging… — Kaui Hart Hemmings Copy Share Image
Because feeling love does make you feel superior. Until you find out you aren't loved back. — Kaui Hart Hemmings Copy Share Image
“Fuck', I think. What a beautiful word. If I could say only one thing for the rest of my life, that would be it.” — Kaui Hart Hemmings Copy Share Image
“I picture Cully tromping through that high, deep snow. That's how I feel physically from all of this. Moving through grief like it's a… — Kaui Hart Hemmings Copy Share Image
“I lean down so that my face is right in front of hers and whisper, ‘He doesn’t love you. I love you.” — Kaui Hart Hemmings Copy Share Image
A sea of red lights, and I slow down. My job now is to gather everyone together and tell them we have to let her go. I won't tell anyone over the phone, because I didn't like hearing the news from the doctor that way. I have maybe a week to handle the arrangements, as the doctor said, but the… — Kaui Hart Hemmings Copy Share
“Get used to it. She'll be there for the rest of your life. She'll be there on birthdays, at Christmastime, when you get your… — Kaui Hart Hemmings Copy Share Image
“Stop it, Barry,” Joanie said. “Get ahold of yourself. This is just how we work.” I agreed. When she told Shelley I was useless, I heard the smile in her voice and knew she was pretending to be irritated. Really, she wouldn’t know what to do without my uselessness, just as I wouldn’t know what to do without her complaints.… — Kaui Hart Hemmings Copy Share
“If Joanie dies before me, I wonder if I’ll ever be with another woman. I can’t imagine going through all of the preliminary stuff—the… — Kaui Hart Hemmings Copy Share Image
“Perhaps I did nothing because I don't have enough fear to be a good parent.” — Kaui Hart Hemmings Copy Share Image
“TIA OR TARA has stopped applying makeup to my wife’s face and is looking at Scottie with disapproval. The light is hitting this woman’s face, giving me an opportunity to see that she should perhaps be working on her own makeup. Her coloring is similar to a manila envelope. There are specks of white in her eyebrows, and her concealer… — Kaui Hart Hemmings Copy Share
“Say goodbye to your mom.” Scottie pauses, then keeps going. “Scottie.” “Bye!” she yells. I grab her arm. I could yell at her for wanting to leave, but I don’t. She pulls her arm out of my grasp. I look up to see if anyone is watching us, because I don’t think you’re supposed to aggressively hold children these days.… — Kaui Hart Hemmings Copy Share
“I tell Esther she should ease up on lard. There's no need to mix lard in with Scottie's rice, chicken, and beans. I tell… — Kaui Hart Hemmings Copy Share Image
