“I can hear you shake,” he whispers. “What are you doing?” “My hand’s under my blouse, my bra. Very softly, I am brushing my finger over my nipple. It’s—so hard. So tight it almost hurts. I am barely touching it… — Mary Ann Rivers Copy Share Image
“This is, of course, the privilege of love, to bear witness to a strong man’s grief over the little sister he could never save,… — Mary Ann Rivers Copy Share Image
“You were the first thing I had asked for, just for me, in a long, long time.” — Mary Ann Rivers Copy Share Image
“He moves to look in my eyes and everything below the belt swoops, then his big hands are around my face and he’s angled… — Mary Ann Rivers Copy Share Image
“That’s just it, Carrie. I’m not going to burden you. You would take it all, I can tell. God, it’s tempting. You’re tempting, and… — Mary Ann Rivers Copy Share Image
“No. I’m waiting because it’s not enough. What’s on the other side of the waiting is enough.” — Mary Ann Rivers Copy Share Image
“The problem is that stepping away from Brian, leaving him standing under that pergola on Wednesday, is no longer enough to leave behind how… — Mary Ann Rivers Copy Share Image
“The first book I ever read that made me cry. I was seven and hadn’t realized books could do that. Just finish you like… — Mary Ann Rivers Copy Share Image
“I love you. I couldn’t be more of a mess right now, but I can’t believe I haven’t told you because I have, for… — Mary Ann Rivers Copy Share Image
“And yet, every day, Brian gathers his sister’s long hair into a beautiful plait, and just the sound of his voice is enough to… — Mary Ann Rivers Copy Share Image
“Then he was quiet, and Nina didn't have anything to say. But he stayed on the phone, she could hear him breathing, and so… — Mary Ann Rivers Copy Share Image
“If I wanted, I could choose to make my life a place that Brian could step into. He didn’t have any room to move,… — Mary Ann Rivers Copy Share Image
“Did you know that your mouth, your skin, is so soft? All week, every time I’ve thought about it, my hands feel like they’re… — Mary Ann Rivers Copy Share Image
“To have the love of this man, who knows what it is to sacrifice his life for love, I would have waited longer.” — Mary Ann Rivers Copy Share Image
“He pulls just an inch away, releasing with a sweet suction my bottom lip. “Your mouth is hot and tastes like honey.” I show… — Mary Ann Rivers Copy Share Image
“How so many of her needs have been gathering, pebble by pebble, into the mountain that Brian climbs every day.” — Mary Ann Rivers Copy Share Image
