“She slowly rolled the book over in her hands, memorizing the cover as she said goodbye. She flipped through the pages, feeling the air on her face and breathing in the smell of the paper.” — Sage Steadman Copy Share Image
“She took comfort in the familiarity of his smell, knowing that if she lost all her possessions and her home, at least she would… — Sage Steadman Copy Share Image
“They left their encampment with dirt-covered linen strewn about the abandoned grounds amongst clothes, shoes, children’s toys and other discarded belongings. The handcart wheels… — Sage Steadman Copy Share Image
“They could have fought against it, begged for another way or gone off the path in hopes of finding an easier passage. Instead, they… — Sage Steadman Copy Share Image
“She felt the depth of her losses before they were realized, and she wondered, Is there still hope? Did she even dare hold on… — Sage Steadman Copy Share Image
“Ann did detention like Whitney Houston did cocaine—frequently and without consideration of the consequences.” — Sage Steadman Copy Share Image
“They looked to each other for support, for strength, and at times, motivation, to remember why and for whom they lived.” — Sage Steadman Copy Share Image
“A memory of her father flitted through her consciousness. The time he played a slow, melodic tune on the saxophone in the misty rain of the yard on a summer’s night, surrounded by the patio’s twinkling lights. She remembered peering out the window and feeling like she was catching a glimpse of another world. One that was timeless and majestic.… — Sage Steadman Copy Share
“Some had come to look upon death as a mercy. Death meant warmth. Death was light. Life was cruel, cold, heavy and dark. Life… — Sage Steadman Copy Share Image
“She had walked to the brink, abandoning all belief, and just before the bitter end, she was pulled from the abyss by faith.” — Sage Steadman Copy Share Image
“I think it would be best if, when you’re having suicidal thoughts of stabbing yourself, that you try to think of rainbows instead.” “Rainbows?” Ann said hugging a pillow. “Yeah,” Lisa said, standing back to look at her wall art. “Ya know—happy, bright, refreshing, the calm after the storm, God’s gift to the earth.” “Or the aliens’ gift,” Ann added.… — Sage Steadman Copy Share
“He was not being courageous as he bore the freezing stream for his wife and children. He simply chose between the lesser of two evils—the pain and suffering he would endure in the river, a physical pain that he could stand to bear, or the pain and suffering he would feel if he had to watch his family wade across… — Sage Steadman Copy Share
“Nothing monumental happened, the earth didn’t shake, and lightning didn’t strike. There was just a simple moment of raw emotion, unbridled and exposed to… — Sage Steadman Copy Share Image
