Holiday Romance

“I can’t have a December Capricorn.” “It turned out okay for Jesus.” “The man was crucified, Molly!”

“You always make the time when you want to.”

“You're pretty good at relationship chats. For a boy, anyway.""Yeah, well. It's always easier when it's about other people, isn't it?”

“There'll be people who can help you. I can help you. But you have to ask for it. You have to try. And I'd rather you tried than stay miserable, Molly. No matter how scared you are.”

“I’m in love with you and I’m sorry it took me so long to figure it out. I’m sorry I wasted so many years trying to find someone else, when the only one I wanted was you.”

“Don’t tell me I don’t know what this is. Don’t tell me I don’t know what I want.”

“Mark doesn’t deserve you,” he interrupts. “And I don’t care if he’s found his soulmate or if he spends his weekend rescuing stray dogs. He hurt you, so I hate him. And I would very much like to punch him for breaking your heart. In fact, if anyone ever makes you think you are less than what you are, or that you don’t deserve everything that you reach for, I will make their lives as miserable as you want me to. Prank phone calls. Stones in their shoes. Whatever you ask me to do, I will do it. You are hardworking and passionate and kind and one day… one day you are going to find someone who lights you up even more than you already do. And they’ll be lucky to have you.”

“Women help women. I will help you quit. I’ll take you to a life coach. We’ll make some lists. I’ll teach you the violin.”

“I spent that entire flight wondering if I was making a giant, expensive mistake, but any doubts I had vanished as soon as I stepped off the plane. I knew as soon as I did that Chicago was my city. And I was lucky that it was. There’s no predicting it sometimes, what calls to you and what doesn’t. But in the same way house-hunters can walk through a front door and know instantly whether or not the four walls are for them, I knew as I settled into my life here all those years ago that this was where I belonged.”

“I’m fine. Honestly, I'm so used to being alone now I don't know if I'll even like it when I find someone I do want to be with. I'm not sure I know how to bend like that anymore.”

“You’re sick,” he says firmly. “Let me look after you. I’ll always look after you.”

“You're scared.""So?" I ask. "There's nothing wrong with being scared.""There's not," he agrees. "So long as you don't stay scared forever.”

“This is an adventure, right? This is either a fun little adventure or possibly the stupidest thing I’ve done. And I once tried to wax my own eyebrows.”

“I’m just not used to this yet,” I admit. “I still feel sometimes like I’ll wake up and we’ll be on a plane. That none of it will have happened.” “It was always going to happen,” he murmurs. “But trust you to choose the most stressful three days ever to do it.”

“I will make their lives as miserable as you want me to. Prank phone calls. Stones in their shoes. Whatever you ask me to do, I will do it.”

“It’s mistletoe, you idiot.”

“Well, it’s too late now,” she says dryly. “Are you sleeping on the couch?” “We’re sharing a bed.” It takes a full twenty seconds for her to stop cackling.”

“You know when people say that the anticipation of a kiss can be better than the actual event? Those people have never kissed Andrew Fitzpatrick.”

“I give most people money as a present. They expect it and they want it.”

“Should we set an alarm?” I whisper. “My family is the alarm.”

“You’re right when you said I keep thinking about failure. I don’t know when I started doing that. I don’t know when I started denying myself what I want, but I do.”

“I don’t know when I started denying myself what I want, but I do. And I don’t want to be that person anymore.”

“You’re really hard to buy for.” “I’m easy to buy for. Get me anything.” “Anything is code word for hard to buy for.”

“In fact, if anyone ever makes you think you are less than what you are, or that you don’t deserve everything that you reach for, I will make their lives as miserable as you want me to. Prank phone calls. Stones in their shoes. Whatever you ask me to do, I will do it. You are hardworking and passionate and kind and one day… one day you are going to find someone who lights you up even more than you already do. And they’ll be lucky to have you.”

“about”

“Är det därför folk röker? För att de ska ha något att göra med händerna?”

“Så här skulle man kunna ha det. Att gå och lägga sig med honom, vakna med honom. Om och om igen tills det slutar vara något särskilt. Tills jag kan ta honom för givet. Inte på något dåligt sätt utan på ett mysigt sätt. Att veta att han finns där, precis som han alltid gjort.”

“Dagen övergår till kväll och tusentals ljus välkomnar oss när Dublins stad omfamnar bukten.”

“Jag ser inte havet, men jag känner doften. Frisk och salt och levande.”

“Ingen tränger sig eller stressar, alla ler och är plötsligt pratsamma nu när vi är halvvägs hem.”