The Right Swipe

“Every time you hurt someone, you break off a little piece of them. Not only do they have to live with that broken piece, then the next person who comes along has to figure out a way to spackle that spot. Your behavior has ripple effects.”

“It's not a weakness to take care of yourself. Asking for and taking what you need to function should never be considered a weakness.”

“No one's universally liked. Beyoncé isn't universally liked. Has that stopped her? No. Be like Beyoncé.”

“Trust is the only reason the world ever functions as it should. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't, and I know that uncertainty is scary, but that's the only way you figure out who your closet people are.”

“Nobody spoke enough about how much bodies could be starved for platonic affection. She knew she gave off strong Do Not Touch vibes, but she needed occasional hugs too.”

“I have glitter in my hair.”Tina grimaced. “Uh, yes. Would you like me to...”“Help me remove the herpes of crafts from my hair?”

“The people I loved, I chose wisely. When I did reach out, they were right there.”

“It was so much easier to write people off. Much harder to navigate the gray areas of interpersonal relationships.”

“Well, if it’s helped, that’s great, but I wouldn’t advise you to use every snippet I said to you as a child in your adult life. Half the time, I was throwing stuff at the wall in the hopes it would keep you balanced and well-grounded in that school full of toxic assholes.” “What?” “I hate to admit this, but I don’t know everything.” Sonya drained her glass of whiskey in one shot and made a face. “Do you have any idea what it’s like, to be the mother of a prodigy? To know your child is brilliant and destined for greatness but will still have to work four times as hard as people with a fraction of her intelligence? I was furious when your classmates were rough on you, but I figured my job was to keep you calm and focused and not let you lose this opportunity. I couldn’t let you be angry, or at the very least, I couldn’t let you show that anger. Because then you would be that angry Black girl, and everyone would dismiss your intelligence or worse, suppress everything that makes you you. So I—” She stopped, and inhaled sharply. “I guess I suppressed you. My God. I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”

“It’s not a weakness to take care of yourself. Asking for and taking what you need to function should never be considered a weakness.”

“That’s fine. We do only the things we’re capable of doing”

“Infants were like a ball of cheeks and rolls held together with drool, but they were surprisingly sturdy.”

“I couldn’t let you be angry, or at the very least, I couldn’t let you show that anger. Because then you would be that angry Black girl, and everyone would dismiss your intelligence or worse, suppress everything that makes you you.”

“Find me the empty soul who doesn’t get emotional over While You Were Sleeping.”

“Every time you hurt someone, you break off a little piece of them.”

“Sometimes, good people make mistakes. It costs you nothing to hear someone out.” “No. It does cost you something.” Because if you believed that person when you heard them out, and then they betrayed you, you ended up doubly hurt. Easier to give people one shot.”

“I am not easy to hurt. I am a stone cold bitch when it comes to men. No rose-colored glasses here.”

“My sister, she’s one tough bitch. That’s what I tell my friends.”“I’m a bit concerned you called me a bitch to your friends.”Gabe chuckled. “Only in a good way. You’re an alpha. But alphas need to rest. And they need to recoup. And they need to cry and be vulnerable and take a break from taking care of everyone.”

“A woman with a hair bow that jaunty she's a fighter."He mulled that over. "You think pepper spray would work on zombies and ghouls?""Open membranes are open membranes, son”

“She didn't trust that hope wasn't coloring their interpretation of what had happened. There wasn't a more optimistic creature in the world, than a person who wanted to believe someone hadn't treated them like shit.”

“Unless you’re a man who ghosted me at some point, in which case I am explicitly not thanking you and send you no love, I assume you’re dead, it’s the only explanation for your disappearance. Peace.”

“You said you were the only one who could protect your heart, but I’m going to protect the hell out of your heart.”

“You walked for your friend.” Do not let that melt your cold dead heart.But as much as she might wish otherwise, her heart was neither cold nor dead, so there it went. Melting into a puddle.”

“I’m not much of a sports ball person. Let’s agree to not talk about it too much.”