--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Gabriel was trying to smile, but the…" description: "\"“Gabriel was trying to smile, but the expression kept breaking apart. He was looking at her as if he hadn't seen her for years and years of searching, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/l-j-smith-962_breaking-apart_gabriel-was-trying-to-smile-but-the-expr_3044586.png" --- # Gabriel was trying to smile, but the expression kept… ![“Gabriel was trying to smile, but the expression kept breaking apart. He was looking at her as if he hadn't seen her for years and years of searching, and had just now walked into a room and come upon her unexpectedly. As if he wanted to look at every part of her, now that he could do it honestly.” quote by L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/l-j-smith-962_breaking-apart_gabriel-was-trying-to-smile-but-the-expr_3044586.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/l-j-smith-962_breaking-apart_gabriel-was-trying-to-smile-but-the-expr_3044586.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/l-j-smith-962_breaking-apart_gabriel-was-trying-to-smile-but-the-expr_3044586.png) > ““Gabriel was trying to smile, but the expression kept breaking apart. He was looking at her as if he hadn't seen her for years and years of searching, and had just now walked into a room and come upon her unexpectedly. As if he wanted to look at every part of her, now that he could do it honestly.”” [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator describes a moment of intense, honest connection after long longing, highlighting vulnerability and desire for intimacy. **In simple terms:** He finally sees her honestly after longing. Key Takeaway Allow genuine moments of connection. Themes longing connection vulnerability honesty desire Mood hopeful intimate Type narrative emotional When to use this quote - reuniting with a loved one - confessing feelings - deep conversations - first honest encounter - reconciliation Key Concepts romantic yearning authenticity emotional intimacy Questions to Reflect On - What does honest seeing change in a relationship? - How can longing become unhealthy? A Different Perspective Romantic idealism may overlook practical realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breaking apart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaking-apart/) [Gabriel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gabriel/) ## Related quotes > [No matter how far apart we are, we are all under and looking at the same sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miyavi/no-matter-how-far-apart-we-are-we-are-all-under-and-looking-at-the/) [Miyavi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miyavi/) > [“He'd stolen her heart right out of her chest when she wasn't looking, and she hadn't the foggiest idea how to get it back.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanna-m-white/he-d-stolen-her-heart-right-out-of-her-chest-when-she-wasn-t-looking/) [Roseanna M. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanna-m-white/) > [Looking at him now-even if she hadn't been in love with him, that part of her that was her mother's daughter, that loved every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/looking-at-him-now-even-if-she-hadn-t-been-in-love-with-him-that-part/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [ “You love her, don't you?' \[Rob\] said to Gabriel. Gabriel finall seemed able to break their locked stare. He looked away, at the carpet.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/you-love-her-don-t-you-rob-said-to-gabriel-gabriel-finall-seemed-able/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [“She stood slim and proud as some medieval witch princess against dawn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/she-stood-slim-and-proud-as-some-medieval-witch-princess-against-dawn/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [“Gabriel came out a moment later, while Kaitlyn was still standing motionless by the stairs. He was shrugging into his T-shirt. He looked particularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/gabriel-came-out-a-moment-later-while-kaitlyn-was-still-standing/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [“Not that he regretted having killed the guy in Stockton. The one who'd been ready to shoot him over the five crumpled dollar bills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/not-that-he-regretted-having-killed-the-guy-in-stockton-the-one-who-d/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [closed my eyes and listened. It was like music I'd heard all my life, even more than "This Lullaby." All those keystrokes, all those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/closed-my-eyes-and-listened-it-was-like-music-i-d-heard-all-my-life/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“Where is he?” Leo sat up, but his head felt like it was floating. They’d landed inside the compound. Something had happened on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/where-is-he-leo-sat-up-but-his-head-felt-like-it-was-floating-they-d/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [I'm putting up a great front, then because I feel like I'm breaking apart inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-feehan/i-m-putting-up-a-great-front-then-because-i-feel-like-i-m-breaking/) [Christine Feehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-feehan/) > [“Why keep putting yourself back together if you’re just going to keep breaking apart?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-l-griffin/why-keep-putting-yourself-back-together-if-you-re-just-going-to-keep/) [R.L. Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-l-griffin/) > [Some of the wives didn't keep up with the program. It started breaking apart during the Apollo days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-schirra/some-of-the-wives-didn-t-keep-up-with-the-program-it-started-breaking/) [Wally Schirra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-schirra/) > [As I get older, my perspective changes, and I just see how relationships aren't always what they appear to be. It's one of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goapele/as-i-get-older-my-perspective-changes-and-i-just-see-how/) [Goapele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goapele/) > [\_sometimes you feeL the weight of the probLem & sometimes it's getting hard on you & you might say I CANT TAKE IT ANYM0RE..that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-you-feel-the-weight-of-the-problem-sometimes-it-s-getting/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“He could be breaking apart inside and you'd never know it from the way he acted. He'd be just as pleasant and polite as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-thompson/he-could-be-breaking-apart-inside-and-you-d-never-know-it-from-the/) [Jim Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-thompson/) ## More by L.J. Smith > [“You're Giving me a...stick" MaryL to a very dangerious vampire”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/you-re-giving-me-a-stick-maryl-to-a-very-dangerious-vampire/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [“I'd rather cut my throat," she said. An intriguing thought. But I can do it so much more enjoyably.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/i-d-rather-cut-my-throat-she-said-an-intriguing-thought-but-i-can-do/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [“I love you Stefan, never let that go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/i-love-you-stefan-never-let-that-go/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [“That's how I want to go. Taking my own way out and totally pissing everybody off at the end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/that-s-how-i-want-to-go-taking-my-own-way-out-and-totally-pissing/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [“Mary-Lynnette had an inexplicable impulse to knock Ash flat and fall down on top of him. She'd never felt that for any boy before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/mary-lynnette-had-an-inexplicable-impulse-to-knock-ash-flat-and-fall/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [“It's all right," Jeanne was yelling. "Yeah, you heard me, it's all right! Delos isn't dangerous. Not to us, anyway. Come on, you, get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/it-s-all-right-jeanne-was-yelling-yeah-you-heard-me-it-s-all-right/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [“Katherine," he said. He was still smiling. "Yes." She leaned closer. "Katherine..." "Yes, Damon?" "Go to hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/katherine-he-said-he-was-still-smiling-yes-she-leaned-closer/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [“Still, there was no point in hurting Damon. She loved Damon, too. “I’ll try,” she promised. “We’ll take you home,” he said. “But not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/still-there-was-no-point-in-hurting-damon-she-loved-damon-too-i-ll/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [“Wasnt it Startre who said hell was eternity spent in a room with your friends?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/wasnt-it-startre-who-said-hell-was-eternity-spent-in-a-room-with-your/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [“A bright haze seemed to lie over everything, and she had a feeling of unreality, but the scene itself looked almost unbelievably wholesome, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/a-bright-haze-seemed-to-lie-over-everything-and-she-had-a-feeling-of/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [“No, I'll dream another dream," he said. "I've made up so many things, now I'll just go into one. I'll be part of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/no-i-ll-dream-another-dream-he-said-i-ve-made-up-so-many-things-now-i/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [“She started walking again. "Are you saying you didn't even want to be with her? Not even just a little?" He stopped. "How could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/she-started-walking-again-are-you-saying-you-didn-t-even-want-to-be/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [“Wings of PURIFICATION”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/wings-of-purification/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [“This Kitten Has Claws”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/this-kitten-has-claws/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [“Now get out of my way, or finish life as a pile of cinders.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/now-get-out-of-my-way-or-finish-life-as-a-pile-of-cinders/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) [Explore all 310 L.J. Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) ## More Breaking apart quotes > [\_sometimes you feeL the weight of the probLem & sometimes it's getting hard on you & you might say I CANT TAKE IT ANYM0RE..that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-you-feel-the-weight-of-the-problem-sometimes-it-s-getting/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As I get older, my perspective changes, and I just see how relationships aren't always what they appear to be. It's one of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goapele/as-i-get-older-my-perspective-changes-and-i-just-see-how/) [Goapele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goapele/) > [Some of the wives didn't keep up with the program. It started breaking apart during the Apollo days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-schirra/some-of-the-wives-didn-t-keep-up-with-the-program-it-started-breaking/) [Wally Schirra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-schirra/) > [“Why keep putting yourself back together if you’re just going to keep breaking apart?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-l-griffin/why-keep-putting-yourself-back-together-if-you-re-just-going-to-keep/) [R.L. Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-l-griffin/) > [I'm putting up a great front, then because I feel like I'm breaking apart inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-feehan/i-m-putting-up-a-great-front-then-because-i-feel-like-i-m-breaking/) [Christine Feehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-feehan/) > [closed my eyes and listened. It was like music I'd heard all my life, even more than "This Lullaby." All those keystrokes, all those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/closed-my-eyes-and-listened-it-was-like-music-i-d-heard-all-my-life/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“He could be breaking apart inside and you'd never know it from the way he acted. He'd be just as pleasant and polite as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-thompson/he-could-be-breaking-apart-inside-and-you-d-never-know-it-from-the/) [Jim Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-thompson/) > [“Where is he?” Leo sat up, but his head felt like it was floating. They’d landed inside the compound. Something had happened on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/where-is-he-leo-sat-up-but-his-head-felt-like-it-was-floating-they-d/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [“Here they found themselves year after year- a group of busy, youngish women who had eased their cars impatiently through the archaic streets of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/here-they-found-themselves-year-after-year-a-group-of-busy-youngish/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [“One of the strangest things about life is that it will chug on, blind and oblivious, even as your private world - your little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/one-of-the-strangest-things-about-life-is-that-it-will-chug-on-blind/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Sometimes good things fall apart so better things could fall together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/sometimes-good-things-fall-apart-so-better-things-could-fall-together/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [“You can't keep your seat?' 'No.' It's barely a whisper, and the heat of embarrassment scorches my skin.' 'How the hell can you not?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-yarros/you-can-t-keep-your-seat-no-it-s-barely-a-whisper-and-the-heat-of/) [Rebecca Yarros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-yarros/) > [I don't know what's wrong with me. It's like all I can do is keep writing this gibberish to keep from breaking apart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-don-t-know-what-s-wrong-with-me-it-s-like-all-i-can-do-is-keep/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [ “\[Christopher:\] You cannot conceive of the quantity of explosives the armies throw at each other for each man killed! The shells make a continuous… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/christopher-you-cannot-conceive-of-the-quantity-of-explosives-the/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [I believe that everything happens for a reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/i-believe-that-everything-happens-for-a-reason/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) [Browse all 44 Breaking apart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaking-apart/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Gabriel was trying to smile, but the expression kept breaking apart. He was looking at her as if he hadn't seen her for years and years of searching, and had just now walked into a room and come upon her unexpectedly. As if he wanted to look at every part of her, now that he could do it honestly.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "L.J. 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