--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What’s the matter?” she asked. Her voice…" description: "\"“What’s the matter?” she asked. Her voice was soft like a purring kitten. Zeke ran a hand through the front of his hair and down over his face. “Someti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfe/heather-gean-77968_quote_what-s-the-matter-she-asked-her-voice-wa_992617.jpg" --- # What’s the matter?” she asked. Her voice was soft like a… ![“What’s the matter?” she asked. Her voice was soft like a purring kitten. Zeke ran a hand through the front of his hair and down over his face. “Sometimes I’m scared you aren’t real and that I’m just imagining all of this.” Ivy’s breaths grew shallower as she watched him. “I’m scared of that, too,”…” quote by Heather Gean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfe/heather-gean-77968_quote_what-s-the-matter-she-asked-her-voice-wa_992617.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfe/heather-gean-77968_quote_what-s-the-matter-she-asked-her-voice-wa_992617.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfe/heather-gean-77968_quote_what-s-the-matter-she-asked-her-voice-wa_992617.jpg) > ““What’s the matter?” she asked. Her voice was soft like a purring kitten. Zeke ran a hand through the front of his hair and down over his face. “Sometimes I’m scared you aren’t real and that I’m just imagining all of this.” Ivy’s breaths grew shallower as she watched him. “I’m scared of that, too,” she admitted. “How do you know if you’re real?” Zeke reached over and ran his fingers through her hair, over her shoulder, and down her bare arm to her fingertips. He twisted the rings on her fingers. “You feel real.”” [Heather Gean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-gean/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character expresses existential doubt about the reality of a relationship, seeking reassurance through physical intimacy. **In simple terms:** Fear of imagined love, needing proof of reality. Key Takeaway Seek honest connection and mutual reassurance. Themes love existential doubt intimacy reassurance Mood anxious hopeful Type dialogue romantic philosophical When to use this quote - dating - long‑distance relationships - therapy sessions - first dates Key Concepts phenomenology subjective reality attachment theory Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate feeling real from fearing illusion? - What non‑physical ways can you validate a relationship? A Different Perspective Physical gestures may not resolve deeper insecurities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feel Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-real/) [Ivy Breaths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ivy-breaths-2041748/) [Kitten Zeke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kitten-zeke-2041746/) [Real Zeke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-zeke-2041749/) [Zeke Reached](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zeke-reached-2041747/) ## Related quotes > [How Can You Call Yoursef Real If You Dont Understand What Real Is. In My Opinion I Feel That Real' Is A Fact And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jr/how-can-you-call-yoursef-real-if-you-dont-understand-what-real-is-in/) [JR](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jr/) > [I don't like to talk about things until I'm on set shooting them because it doesn't feel real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ry-russo-young/i-don-t-like-to-talk-about-things-until-i-m-on-set-shooting-them/) [Ry Russo-Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ry-russo-young/) > [Only other people can make you feel real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-beukes/only-other-people-can-make-you-feel-real/) [Lauren Beukes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-beukes/) > [That's the main thing. People have to feel it's real. If they feel there's something commercial or some fake thing behind it, then the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-de-clercq/that-s-the-main-thing-people-have-to-feel-it-s-real-if-they-feel/) [Eddy de Clercq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-de-clercq/) > [“The only thing that will ever be real, is this moment,' I turned to the statue, 'when you made me feel alive, when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-hachton/the-only-thing-that-will-ever-be-real-is-this-moment-i-turned-to-the/) [Rae Hachton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-hachton/) > [In a way, metafiction breaks down the story and makes it less real. But in another respect, by that very breaking down, it actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gunn/in-a-way-metafiction-breaks-down-the-story-and-makes-it-less-real-but/) [James Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gunn/) > [“In spite of the horror, in spite of the tragedy, in spite of the weeks of sleepless nights, I'm finally alive. I'm not pretending.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-bass/in-spite-of-the-horror-in-spite-of-the-tragedy-in-spite-of-the-weeks/) [Ellen Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-bass/) > [She didnʹt know if she could carry on by herself, but then, she realized that if this wasnʹt a dream—and dear God, did it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/she-didn-t-know-if-she-could-carry-on-by-herself-but-then-she/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [You see, I have only such a fugitive awareness of things around me that I always feel they were once real and are now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/you-see-i-have-only-such-a-fugitive-awareness-of-things-around-me/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [You feel it's not real when people are, like, petting your back all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-manuel-de-homem-christo/you-feel-it-s-not-real-when-people-are-like-petting-your-back-all-the/) [Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-manuel-de-homem-christo/) > [ You don’t feel as real if you don’t see yourself reflected in the media \[…\] There’s something very powerful about seeing yourself represented. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-mcduffie/you-don-t-feel-as-real-if-you-don-t-see-yourself-reflected-in-the/) [Dwayne McDuffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-mcduffie/) > [I think there's a phenomenon of people who want to be around something that seems "dangerous." It makes them feel more real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/i-think-there-s-a-phenomenon-of-people-who-want-to-be-around/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [With music I get to feel real ownership with what I do. I write it, I perform it and even if it is crap,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/with-music-i-get-to-feel-real-ownership-with-what-i-do-i-write-it-i/) [John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/) > [“Haunted by the longing to feel something real, deep and magical; I searched for a shared ecstasy... that's when you came along.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebo-grand/haunted-by-the-longing-to-feel-something-real-deep-and-magical-i/) [Lebo Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebo-grand/) > [We knew that for E.T. to feel real, you had to have some connection to his eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-kennedy/we-knew-that-for-e-t-to-feel-real-you-had-to-have-some-connection-to/) [Kathleen Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-kennedy/) ## More by Heather Gean > [“It's about being in love, and working together, and working together when you aren't in love, and loving when you can't work together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-gean/it-s-about-being-in-love-and-working-together-and-working-together/) [Heather Gean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-gean/) > [“You know what I mean. Sometimes you just know what you want, and it doesn’t make any sense at all. What’s that called?” “Being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-gean/you-know-what-i-mean-sometimes-you-just-know-what-you-want-and-it/) [Heather Gean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-gean/) [Explore all 3 Heather Gean quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-gean/) ## More Feel Real quotes > [How Can You Call Yoursef Real If You Dont Understand What Real Is. In My Opinion I Feel That Real' Is A Fact And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jr/how-can-you-call-yoursef-real-if-you-dont-understand-what-real-is-in/) [JR](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jr/) > [“Haunted by the longing to feel something real, deep and magical; I searched for a shared ecstasy... that's when you came along.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebo-grand/haunted-by-the-longing-to-feel-something-real-deep-and-magical-i/) [Lebo Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebo-grand/) > [With music I get to feel real ownership with what I do. I write it, I perform it and even if it is crap,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/with-music-i-get-to-feel-real-ownership-with-what-i-do-i-write-it-i/) [John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/) > [I think there's a phenomenon of people who want to be around something that seems "dangerous." It makes them feel more real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/i-think-there-s-a-phenomenon-of-people-who-want-to-be-around/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [ You don’t feel as real if you don’t see yourself reflected in the media \[…\] There’s something very powerful about seeing yourself represented. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-mcduffie/you-don-t-feel-as-real-if-you-don-t-see-yourself-reflected-in-the/) [Dwayne McDuffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-mcduffie/) > [You feel it's not real when people are, like, petting your back all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-manuel-de-homem-christo/you-feel-it-s-not-real-when-people-are-like-petting-your-back-all-the/) [Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-manuel-de-homem-christo/) > [You see, I have only such a fugitive awareness of things around me that I always feel they were once real and are now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/you-see-i-have-only-such-a-fugitive-awareness-of-things-around-me/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [She didnʹt know if she could carry on by herself, but then, she realized that if this wasnʹt a dream—and dear God, did it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/she-didn-t-know-if-she-could-carry-on-by-herself-but-then-she/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“In spite of the horror, in spite of the tragedy, in spite of the weeks of sleepless nights, I'm finally alive. I'm not pretending.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-bass/in-spite-of-the-horror-in-spite-of-the-tragedy-in-spite-of-the-weeks/) [Ellen Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-bass/) > [In a way, metafiction breaks down the story and makes it less real. But in another respect, by that very breaking down, it actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gunn/in-a-way-metafiction-breaks-down-the-story-and-makes-it-less-real-but/) [James Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gunn/) > [“The only thing that will ever be real, is this moment,' I turned to the statue, 'when you made me feel alive, when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-hachton/the-only-thing-that-will-ever-be-real-is-this-moment-i-turned-to-the/) [Rae Hachton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-hachton/) > [That's the main thing. People have to feel it's real. If they feel there's something commercial or some fake thing behind it, then the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-de-clercq/that-s-the-main-thing-people-have-to-feel-it-s-real-if-they-feel/) [Eddy de Clercq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-de-clercq/) > [Only other people can make you feel real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-beukes/only-other-people-can-make-you-feel-real/) [Lauren Beukes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-beukes/) > [I don't like to talk about things until I'm on set shooting them because it doesn't feel real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ry-russo-young/i-don-t-like-to-talk-about-things-until-i-m-on-set-shooting-them/) [Ry Russo-Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ry-russo-young/) > [We knew that for E.T. to feel real, you had to have some connection to his eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-kennedy/we-knew-that-for-e-t-to-feel-real-you-had-to-have-some-connection-to/) [Kathleen Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-kennedy/) [Browse all 169 Feel Real quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-real/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What’s the matter?” she asked. 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