--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nick's number waited impatiently on the…" description: "\"“Nick's number waited impatiently on the screen, tapping its foot. I could press the red button to cancel the call. Without pressing anything, I set th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b5/jennifer-echols-943_damage-control_nick-s-number-waited-impatiently-on-the_130688.jpg" --- # Nick's number waited impatiently on the screen, tapping… ![“Nick's number waited impatiently on the screen, tapping its foot. I could press the red button to cancel the call. Without pressing anything, I set the phone down on my bedside table, crossed my arms,and glared at it. Good:Nick wouldn't think I was chasing him. Bad:Nick would die alone in his…” quote by Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b5/jennifer-echols-943_damage-control_nick-s-number-waited-impatiently-on-the_130688.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b5/jennifer-echols-943_damage-control_nick-s-number-waited-impatiently-on-the_130688.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b5/jennifer-echols-943_damage-control_nick-s-number-waited-impatiently-on-the_130688.jpg) > ““Nick's number waited impatiently on the screen, tapping its foot. I could press the red button to cancel the call. Without pressing anything, I set the phone down on my bedside table, crossed my arms,and glared at it. Good:Nick wouldn't think I was chasing him. Bad:Nick would die alone in his house from complications related to his stupendous wipeout.The guilt of knowing I could have saved his life if not for my outsized ego would be too much for me to bear.I would retreat from public life.I would join a nearby convent and knit potholders from strands of my own hair.No,I would crochet Christmas ornaments in the shape of delicate snowflakes.Red snowflakes! They would be sold in the souvenir shops around town.I would support a whole orphanage from the proceeds of snowflakes I crocheted from my hair.All the townspeople of Snowfall would tell tourists the story of Crazy Sister Hayden and the tragedy of her lost love. Or I could call Nick.Jesus! I snatched up the phone and pressed the green button. His phone switched straight to voice mail.Great,I hadn't found out whether he was dying, and if he recovered later,he would see my number on his phone and roll his eyes. Damage control: Beeeeep! "Hey,Nick,it's Hayden.Just,ah, wanted to know how a crash like that feels." Wait,I was trying to get him to call me back,right?He would not return my call after a message like that. "Actually just wondering whether you're ready to make out again and then have another argument." He might not return that call,either. "Actually,I remembered your mother isn't home,and I wanted to make sure you're okay.Please give me a call back." Pressed red button.Set phone on nightstand.Folded arms.Glared at phone. Picked it up. "Freaking stupid young love!" I hollered,slamming it into the pillows on my bed. Doofus jumped up, startled. Ah-ha.”” [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Overthinking a crisis leads to paralysis, but decisive action, even small, can break the cycle of regret. **In simple terms:** Paralysis from overthinking. Key Takeaway Act rather than over‑analyze. Themes decision‑making regret action Mood anxious determined Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - emergency response - personal relationships - self‑care Key Concepts psychology stress management Questions to Reflect On - What small step can you take now? - How do you balance caution with action? A Different Perspective Action may not change outcomes and can increase anxiety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Damage control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/damage-control/) [Die Alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/die-alone/) [Glared Phone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glared-phone-347031/) [Lost love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost-love/) [Love Nick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-nick-1304777/) [Phone Pressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phone-pressed-1498859/) [Press Red](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/press-red-1498858/) [Public life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-life/) [Snowflakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snowflakes/) [Young love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-love/) ## Related quotes > [Even the Rich & Poor can't press the red botton at death! It is never a miss call! 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Nick rolled his eyes and made a rude gesture, and Alan drove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/remember-he-called-just-be-yourself-and-everyone-will-love-you-nick/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [“You are beautiful in every way -inside and out- and I love you" ~Nick to Ellie”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-roland-anderson/you-are-beautiful-in-every-way-inside-and-out-and-i-love-you-nick-to/) [Cindy Roland Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-roland-anderson/) > [“That although I love Nick, on most days I don't think he lassoed the moon”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/that-although-i-love-nick-on-most-days-i-don-t-think-he-lassoed-the/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [I love Goodfellows and I love Nick Palleggi, but no, it's The Godfather, 1 and 2.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/i-love-goodfellows-and-i-love-nick-palleggi-but-no-it-s-the-godfather/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [“He remained silent, and she gentled her voice. “I never planned for this. I never planned to make this a real marriage. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-probst/he-remained-silent-and-she-gentled-her-voice-i-never-planned-for-this/) [Jennifer Probst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-probst/) > [When I finally made it to the set, I spent a lot of time doing damage control on The Magic Christian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-southern/when-i-finally-made-it-to-the-set-i-spent-a-lot-of-time-doing-damage/) [Terry Southern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-southern/) > [I believe in having each device secured and monitoring each device, rather than just monitoring holistically on the network, and then responding in short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/i-believe-in-having-each-device-secured-and-monitoring-each-device/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I couldn't stand being identified by my sexuality, I retaliated by insisting that people regard me for my intellectual worth. 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Maybe I'd do tricks when we went out the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/my-intention-all-along-had-been-to-get-my-wakeboarding-legs-back-this/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“He fumbled with something in his breeches. She had thought the past few minutes the most intense of her life, but they were nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/he-fumbled-with-something-in-his-breeches-she-had-thought-the-past/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [But you can’t live your life worried about dying all the time. If you do, you’re dead already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/but-you-can-t-live-your-life-worried-about-dying-all-the-time-if-you/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“I could have explained that I wanted to walk without Doofus to get some air. But it would be pretty unusual-one might even go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/i-could-have-explained-that-i-wanted-to-walk-without-doofus-to-get/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“There was a reason I was so into yoga. I was high-strung(news flash!).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/there-was-a-reason-i-was-so-into-yoga-i-was-high-strung-news-flash/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“It wasn't a pretty sunset. The colors were as expected: violet clouds, bright orange and pink underneath, against the pale blue sky. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/it-wasn-t-a-pretty-sunset-the-colors-were-as-expected-violet-clouds/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“Adam found a break through the thicket and up the hill. He turned around and extended his hand to help me up. I froze,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/adam-found-a-break-through-the-thicket-and-up-the-hill-he-turned/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“John turned to me. "Frozen daiquiri?" "Pina colada, please." "Virgin?" He wasn't asking my permission. He was just making sure I knew he wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/john-turned-to-me-frozen-daiquiri-pina-colada-please-virgin-he-wasn-t/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) [Explore all 322 Jennifer Echols quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) ## More Damage control quotes > [I couldn't stand being identified by my sexuality, I retaliated by insisting that people regard me for my intellectual worth. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ndamukong-suh/i-understand-there-s-damage-control-to-do-on-my-image-but-people-are/) [Ndamukong Suh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ndamukong-suh/) > [“When our bodies don’t have the nutrients they need—the nutrients from fats—for basic tasks like cellular repair, hormonal function or even damage control, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-wolfe/when-our-bodies-don-t-have-the-nutrients-they-need-the-nutrients-from/) [Liz Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-wolfe/) [Browse all 26 Damage control quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/damage-control/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Nick's number waited impatiently on the screen, tapping its foot. I could press the red button to cancel the call. Without pressing anything, I set the phone down on my bedside table, crossed my arms,and glared at it. Good:Nick wouldn't think I was chasing him. Bad:Nick would die alone in his house from complications related to his stupendous wipeout.The guilt of knowing I could have saved his life if not for my outsized ego would be too much for me to bear.I would retreat from public life.I would join a nearby convent and knit potholders from strands of my own hair.No,I would crochet Christmas ornaments in the shape of delicate snowflakes.Red snowflakes! They would be sold in the souvenir shops around town.I would support a whole orphanage from the proceeds of snowflakes I crocheted from my hair.All the townspeople of Snowfall would tell tourists the story of Crazy Sister Hayden and the tragedy of her lost love. Or I could call Nick.Jesus! I snatched up the phone and pressed the green button. His phone switched straight to voice mail.Great,I hadn't found out whether he was dying, and if he recovered later,he would see my number on his phone and roll his eyes. Damage control: Beeeeep! \"Hey,Nick,it's Hayden.Just,ah, wanted to know how a crash like that feels.\" Wait,I was trying to get him to call me back,right?He would not return my call after a message like that. \"Actually just wondering whether you're ready to make out again and then have another argument.\" He might not return that call,either. \"Actually,I remembered your mother isn't home,and I wanted to make sure you're okay.Please give me a call back.\" Pressed red button.Set phone on nightstand.Folded arms.Glared at phone. Picked it up. \"Freaking stupid young love!\" I hollered,slamming it into the pillows on my bed. Doofus jumped up, startled. Ah-ha.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jennifer Echols" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/nick-s-number-waited-impatiently-on-the-screen-tapping-its-foot-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Damage control" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/nick-s-number-waited-impatiently-on-the-screen-tapping-its-foot-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b5/jennifer-echols-943_damage-control_nick-s-number-waited-impatiently-on-the_130688.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b5/jennifer-echols-943_damage-control_nick-s-number-waited-impatiently-on-the_130688.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b5/jennifer-echols-943_damage-control_nick-s-number-waited-impatiently-on-the_130688.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nick's number waited impatiently on the screen, tapping its foot. 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