“Maybe home isn’t a place. It’s a feeling. Of being cared for and understood. Of being loved.”
―
Lia Louis,
Dear Emmie Blue
“Do you know why I like storms? They're a little reminder that we're not at all in charge, but Mother Nature is. And while the world might not look exactly how we'd prefer it to, it is enough, if we just stop and look. The whole sky lit up. The smell of the rain. Safe inside. What more could you need?” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“I know, deep down, I am made of strong stuff. Rebuilt with it, at least, the way we all are over the years, with age and experience. Skin thickening, heart softening, patched up double in the places prone to breaking. A sum of all the things that have hurt us, scared us, sheltered, and delighted us.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“What is it about someone asking if you're okay? Even if you think you're holding it together, all it takes is someone asking is if you're alright to completely melt away your resolve and bring that lump bobbing straight into your throat.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“The only sort of negative emotion I feel is slightly sad, but it isn’t a jealous sort of sad, it’s that end of era feeling; the sort of feeling you have when you’re leaving a job and you know so much that it’s for the best, but you’ll miss it. The familiarity. The routine of it.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“The dream, surely,’ I said. ‘Someone loving you despite and because of all the flaws and shit in your life.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“I’m thirty years old, and it’s safe to say that at this precise moment I definitely do not know where I am going.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“I look down at my wet jeans, the old, squelching sandals, the towel around me, and bring a knuckle to my eye, crusted with dry-again mascara. "God. Look at me," I say, voice cracking. "Just look at me."Eliot stares at me. And softly, into the silence of the car, he says, "I am.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“Big things, I hope, might happen someday, but it’s the little things that are important, isn’t it? They keep us grounded. The little things are the things we miss the most when normality is turned on its head.” ― Lia Louis, Eight Perfect Hours
“Because everyone is settled at thirty, aren’t they? You’re an adult at thirty – fully fledged – and everyone knows who they are. Or at least everyone knows exactly where they are going, even if they haven’t quite made it there yet.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“My life has started. I’m in it. It’s not something I’m waiting for any more. I’m here. And whatever I wanted for my life, was it this?’ Was it this?” ― Lia Louis, Eight Perfect Hours
“Bit shit growing up and being an adult, sometimes, isn’t it?” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“Sorry. I know this is probably really boring for you.""Boring?""Yes. Me, harping on about things that don't really matter, people you don't really know."And Louise had looked at me every time, her wrinkled brow furrowing, and said, "That is called a conversation, is it not, Emmie? How relationships are made, slowly sharing pieces of yourself, in turn?” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“Happiness," she says. "What is that, to Emmie Blue?""Wow," I say with a smile, "that's a... big question."[...] "I suppose when I was younger, a few years ago, I would have said... a family. A normal, safe family life."[...]"You know," I say, "a home, with flowers in the window, a relationship with my mum where maybe she pops in for lunch now and then. Children, one day, maybe. Someone..." I swallow, words becoming increasingly difficult to say. "Someone to love. Someone to love me.""Love," says Louise. "So you think love is happiness?"I hesitate, laugh, nerves turning it into a high-pitched giggle. "I—don't know. Yes. Yes, I suppose it is. For me.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“I'm made of strong stuff," I say, and Lucas says, "Always have been.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“OK?’ Eliot simply asks. ‘Fine.’ ‘Good. Only thing for it,’ he says, ‘hold on and hope for the best.’ ‘And that’s dancing, is it?’ ‘Well, yeah,’ says Eliot, then he leans in and says into my ear, breath tickling my neck, ‘And everything else, too, Emmie Blue.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“chance, meant-to-bes – they cannot be rushed or planned.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“It’s all just – life, isn’t it? Disordered and chaotic and out-of-nowhere, and we have to plan and navigate our way around it as best we can.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“You think I'm mad, don't you?" I say. "Is this the part where you tell me I have my head up my arse for saying such a sugary, silly thing?""No," she says. lowering the mug to her lap. "Not even close, Emmie. Silly is something I would never use to describe you.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“Do you know why I like storms? They're a little reminder that we're not at all in charge, but Mother Nature is. And while the world might not look exactly how we'd prefer it to, it is enough, if we just stop and look. The whole sky lit up. The smell of the rain. Safe inside. What more could you need?” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“I know, deep down, I am made of strong stuff. Rebuilt with it, at least, the way we all are over the years, with age and experience. Skin thickening, heart softening, patched up double in the places prone to breaking. A sum of all the things that have hurt us, scared us, sheltered, and delighted us.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“What is it about someone asking if you're okay? Even if you think you're holding it together, all it takes is someone asking is if you're alright to completely melt away your resolve and bring that lump bobbing straight into your throat.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“The only sort of negative emotion I feel is slightly sad, but it isn’t a jealous sort of sad, it’s that end of era feeling; the sort of feeling you have when you’re leaving a job and you know so much that it’s for the best, but you’ll miss it. The familiarity. The routine of it.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“The dream, surely,’ I said. ‘Someone loving you despite and because of all the flaws and shit in your life.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“I’m thirty years old, and it’s safe to say that at this precise moment I definitely do not know where I am going.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“I look down at my wet jeans, the old, squelching sandals, the towel around me, and bring a knuckle to my eye, crusted with dry-again mascara. "God. Look at me," I say, voice cracking. "Just look at me."Eliot stares at me. And softly, into the silence of the car, he says, "I am.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“Big things, I hope, might happen someday, but it’s the little things that are important, isn’t it? They keep us grounded. The little things are the things we miss the most when normality is turned on its head.” ― Lia Louis, Eight Perfect Hours
“Because everyone is settled at thirty, aren’t they? You’re an adult at thirty – fully fledged – and everyone knows who they are. Or at least everyone knows exactly where they are going, even if they haven’t quite made it there yet.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“My life has started. I’m in it. It’s not something I’m waiting for any more. I’m here. And whatever I wanted for my life, was it this?’ Was it this?” ― Lia Louis, Eight Perfect Hours
“Bit shit growing up and being an adult, sometimes, isn’t it?” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“Sorry. I know this is probably really boring for you.""Boring?""Yes. Me, harping on about things that don't really matter, people you don't really know."And Louise had looked at me every time, her wrinkled brow furrowing, and said, "That is called a conversation, is it not, Emmie? How relationships are made, slowly sharing pieces of yourself, in turn?” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“Happiness," she says. "What is that, to Emmie Blue?""Wow," I say with a smile, "that's a... big question."[...] "I suppose when I was younger, a few years ago, I would have said... a family. A normal, safe family life."[...]"You know," I say, "a home, with flowers in the window, a relationship with my mum where maybe she pops in for lunch now and then. Children, one day, maybe. Someone..." I swallow, words becoming increasingly difficult to say. "Someone to love. Someone to love me.""Love," says Louise. "So you think love is happiness?"I hesitate, laugh, nerves turning it into a high-pitched giggle. "I—don't know. Yes. Yes, I suppose it is. For me.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“I'm made of strong stuff," I say, and Lucas says, "Always have been.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“OK?’ Eliot simply asks. ‘Fine.’ ‘Good. Only thing for it,’ he says, ‘hold on and hope for the best.’ ‘And that’s dancing, is it?’ ‘Well, yeah,’ says Eliot, then he leans in and says into my ear, breath tickling my neck, ‘And everything else, too, Emmie Blue.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“chance, meant-to-bes – they cannot be rushed or planned.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“It’s all just – life, isn’t it? Disordered and chaotic and out-of-nowhere, and we have to plan and navigate our way around it as best we can.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
“You think I'm mad, don't you?" I say. "Is this the part where you tell me I have my head up my arse for saying such a sugary, silly thing?""No," she says. lowering the mug to her lap. "Not even close, Emmie. Silly is something I would never use to describe you.” ― Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue
