Home > Work > When We Believed in Mermaids
81 " I took myself back, made myself over, became a woman I am proud of. "
― Barbara O'Neal , When We Believed in Mermaids
82 " My sister,” I reply without hesitation. “We had our own little world, just the two of us—it was full of magic and beautiful things.” “Mm,” he says, moving his palm lightly over mine. “What magic?” “Mountain Dew was an actual magic elixir. Do you know Mountain Dew?” He nods. “There were kitchen fairies and mermaids who moved things around to make the grown-ups crazy. "
83 " What did you love as a child?” “Books,” he says with a laugh. “I loved to read more than anything. My father grew angry with me—‘Javier, you need to run! You need to play with the other boys. Go outside.’” He lifts a shoulder. “I only wanted to lie in the grass and think about other worlds, other places. "
84 " With adulthood comes discipline, however, so I give the ice cream my full attention, aware that I’m using food to soothe my aching heart and not caring a bit. "
85 " This is why we have funerals. We desperately need to see the truth for ourselves, see that loved one’s face, even if it’s marred. Otherwise, it’s just "
86 " See? Love found you.” “It broke my heart, though.” “Sure.” He lifts his shoulders. “Me too. But you don’t die. You just . . . begin again. "
87 " Of course I’ll miss him. We can stay in touch through email, and in a few weeks, we’ll forget the urgency of now. "
88 " The only things I’d ever really wanted—peace, calm, predictability. My childhood had been drama enough for one life. "
89 " The human body is a delicate, amazing creation. It takes almost nothing to completely destroy it, and yet it takes a lot. "
90 " Yes, I have. I might actually have been falling in love a little bit. "
91 " Resistance will break you. Kill you. The only way to survive is to let go. The world swirls, up and down, around, for endless moments. "
92 " idyll "
93 " I haven’t had a lot of time to fall in love.” “Psssht. Love does not need time. "
94 " I’d never heard of a feijoa before I arrived in New Zealand. They’re a small green fruit that looks like a cross between an avocado and a lime on the outside, but inside boasts a fragrant yellow flesh with a texture much like a ripe pear’s. The flavor is an acquired taste—sweet and perfumed, a combination of a dozen other things—but to me, they are just simply, sublimely feijoa. "
95 " For a moment, I look at all the disasters happening around the world, and my drama seems ridiculous and small, all of my own doing. But it’s not about comparison, as my counselor used to say. My pain is my pain. "
96 " Did I really fall in love "
97 " know it was entirely likely. My father was a massive personality, a charming, bigger-than-life chef from Italy, though people just said cook in those days. Or restaurateur, which was what he really was. My mother loved him to excess, far more "
98 " It is absolutely love. For me, certainly. "
99 " See? Love found you.” “It broke my heart, though.” “Sure.” He lifts his shoulders. “Me too. But you don’t die. You just . . . begin again.” He settles his hand on my thigh. I take a sip of wine, aware of the winding promise between us. It feels dangerous and rich. “How many times?” “As many times as life offers. "
100 " In Spanish, we say alma gemela. Soul twin. "