--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the silence, she felt the past and the…" description: "\"In the silence, she felt the past and the present shift and mix, but that was a mirage. There was no way to comfort the lost boy he'd been back then. B..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/151/j-r-ward-148_arms_in-the-silence-she-felt-the-past-and-the_2688907.png" --- # In the silence, she felt the past and the present shift… ![“In the silence, she felt the past and the present shift and mix, but that was a mirage. There was no way to comfort the lost boy he'd been back then. But she had the grown male. She had him right in her arms, and for a brief moment of whimsy, she imagined that she was never, ever going to let him…” quote by J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/151/j-r-ward-148_arms_in-the-silence-she-felt-the-past-and-the_2688907.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/151/j-r-ward-148_arms_in-the-silence-she-felt-the-past-and-the_2688907.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/151/j-r-ward-148_arms_in-the-silence-she-felt-the-past-and-the_2688907.png) > “In the silence, she felt the past and the present shift and mix, but that was a mirage. There was no way to comfort the lost boy he'd been back then. But she had the grown male. She had him right in her arms, and for a brief moment of whimsy, she imagined that she was never, ever going to let him go.” [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In a moment of quiet, she imagines holding a lost boy, mixing past and present, but it’s an illusion. **In simple terms:** She imagines a comforting illusion. Key Takeaway Cherish real connections. Themes memory illusion comfort time travel Mood melancholic hopeful Type fiction romantic When to use this quote - romance - fantasy - healing - inner conflict Key Concepts nostalgia loss hope Questions to Reflect On - What comforts you in loss? - How to distinguish memory from fantasy? A Different Perspective Living in illusion may hinder healing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Brief moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brief-moments/) [Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comfort/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Lost boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost-boys/) [Males](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/males/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Whimsy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whimsy/) ## Related quotes > [“Some felt that perhaps in his past lay a tragedy with which he had never been able to make his peace, that the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/some-felt-that-perhaps-in-his-past-lay-a-tragedy-with-which-he-had/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [I used to be very scared of silence because I felt it was my responsibility to keep people occupied. That definitely spawns from an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-sprouse/i-used-to-be-very-scared-of-silence-because-i-felt-it-was-my/) [Dylan Sprouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-sprouse/) > [I've felt that in the past, where I just felt like I had to keep drawing in the same way to maintain this sameness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-clowes/i-ve-felt-that-in-the-past-where-i-just-felt-like-i-had-to-keep/) [Daniel Clowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-clowes/) > [I finally heard the sound of silence I had never felt it before It kissed my lips with its stillness And it slowly disappeared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-kler/i-finally-heard-the-sound-of-silence-i-had-never-felt-it-before-it/) [Nick Kler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-kler/) > [“Silence cleared her throat, fearful her voice would come out a croak. “Is she asleep?” He blinked as if he, too, were waking from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hoyt/silence-cleared-her-throat-fearful-her-voice-would-come-out-a-croak/) [Elizabeth Hoyt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hoyt/) > [“Why was it that silence sometimes felt like a physical thing with a weight of its own?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-balogh/why-was-it-that-silence-sometimes-felt-like-a-physical-thing-with-a/) [Mary Balogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-balogh/) > [“The silence felt like an empty speech bubble: It took up space but there were no words. Karou…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/the-silence-felt-like-an-empty-speech-bubble-it-took-up-space-but/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [“i know he was not angry with me- he could not be angry with me- and yet his silence felt like anger to me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailin-gow/i-know-he-was-not-angry-with-me-he-could-not-be-angry-with-me-and-yet/) [Kailin Gow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailin-gow/) > [“Certainly the past doesn't exist anywhere outside our own heads. I have never touched, kicked, or felt the past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-johnson/certainly-the-past-doesn-t-exist-anywhere-outside-our-own-heads-i/) [Matthew Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-johnson/) > [Everything I know and I am and I have seen felt done past present past now then before now seen felt done hurt felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/everything-i-know-and-i-am-and-i-have-seen-felt-done-past-present/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“It made him feel like less of a man. And given how much less of a man he’d felt the past several weeks, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-betts/it-made-him-feel-like-less-of-a-man-and-given-how-much-less-of-a-man/) [Heidi Betts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-betts/) > [“I felt as though the past and the future, cause and effect, patterns and connections, were a huge complicated artifice, and it was only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/i-felt-as-though-the-past-and-the-future-cause-and-effect-patterns/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [“she felt the past come rushing back with a ferocity that nearly knocked her down. And it struck her, this was not just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-andrews/she-felt-the-past-come-rushing-back-with-a-ferocity-that-nearly/) [Mary Kay Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-andrews/) > [“In the silence I felt it all unravelling, the audience waking with the dream unfinished, all my work ruined, wasted. And all the while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/in-the-silence-i-felt-it-all-unravelling-the-audience-waking-with-the/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“To have endured horrors, to have seen the worst of humanity and have your life made unrecognizable by it, to come out of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/to-have-endured-horrors-to-have-seen-the-worst-of-humanity-and-have/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) ## More by J.R. Ward > [“If you’ve bullshitted me, angel, I’m going to kill you.” The other male rolled his eyes. “I’m already dead, idiot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/if-you-ve-bullshitted-me-angel-i-m-going-to-kill-you-the-other-male/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [You're getting into some kind of shape, cop." Aw, come on, now." Butch grinned. "Don't let that shower we took go to your head."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/you-re-getting-into-some-kind-of-shape-cop-aw-come-on-now-butch/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [Closing his eyes, he sent up a prayer to anyone who was listening, asking please, for God's sake, stop sending him signals that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/closing-his-eyes-he-sent-up-a-prayer-to-anyone-who-was-listening/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [“Knock her dead, my man." "Oh no." Xcor shook his head."That shan't be necessary. This one I like.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/knock-her-dead-my-man-oh-no-xcor-shook-his-head-that-shan-t-be/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [“I’m not strong enough for this,” he whispered in her ear—like he didn’t want anyone to hear that coming out of his mouth. Ever.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/i-m-not-strong-enough-for-this-he-whispered-in-her-ear-like-he-didn-t/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [“Fucking hell. "Did you guys plan that out?" "Yeah, and if you don't fight us"--Hollywood bit down on his grape Tootsie-Pop--"we'll do it again--only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/fucking-hell-did-you-guys-plan-that-out-yeah-and-if-you-don-t-fight/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [“Why ever are you here?“ she whispered, putting her hands to his face. “Because I love you.” In so many ways, that explained nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/why-ever-are-you-here-she-whispered-putting-her-hands-to-his-face/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [Time to the face the music,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/time-to-the-face-the-music/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [“As his ears rang and his heart broke for her, he stayed strong against the gale force she let loose. After all, there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/as-his-ears-rang-and-his-heart-broke-for-her-he-stayed-strong-against/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [Layla brought her arms around herself, no doubt because she was remembering the feel of another, stronger set. "I have wanted to, but he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/layla-brought-her-arms-around-herself-no-doubt-because-she-was/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [“Rehvenge, I’m talking to you more than I speak with my mahmen.” “I thought your mother was dead.” “She is.” “You have a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/rehvenge-i-m-talking-to-you-more-than-i-speak-with-my-mahmen-i/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [In his fantasy, he kissed his best friend again, pulled back, and… “I love you,” he said into the spray of the shower. “I……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/in-his-fantasy-he-kissed-his-best-friend-again-pulled-back-and-i-love/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [And love … love was worth dying for. Worth living for, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/and-love-love-was-worth-dying-for-worth-living-for-too/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [“He had a weakness, though. All of us do, and those of us who think they do not are not being honest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/he-had-a-weakness-though-all-of-us-do-and-those-of-us-who-think-they/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [Because I was, and I remain, utterly and completely and totally…in love with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/because-i-was-and-i-remain-utterly-and-completely-and-totally-in-love/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) [Explore all 1,120 J.R. Ward quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) ## More Arms quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Are we fighting?" I asked Morelli. "No. Were discussing." "Are you sure?" "Am I yelling?" Morelli asked. "Is my face purple? Are the cords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/are-we-fighting-i-asked-morelli-no-were-discussing-are-you-sure-am-i/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Comerado, this is no book,Who touches this, touches a man,(Is it night? Are we here alone?)It is I you hold, and who holds you,I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/comerado-this-is-no-book-who-touches-this-touches-a-man-is-it-night/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Even the stove and the refrigerator looked human, I mean good human - they seemed to have arms and voices and they said, hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/even-the-stove-and-the-refrigerator-looked-human-i-mean-good-human/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I separated the joints, the arm joints, the leg joints, and had to do two boilings. 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"I'm beginning to look forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-lindsey/another-step-had-her-backed-up-against-the-wall-and-he-braced-his/) [Johanna Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-lindsey/) Browse all 4,470 Arms quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the silence, she felt the past and the present shift and mix, but that was a mirage. There was no way to comfort the lost boy he'd been back then. But she had the grown male. She had him right in her arms, and for a brief moment of whimsy, she imagined that she was never, ever going to let him go.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J.R. 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