My Darling Dreadful Thing

by Johanna van Veen

Darkness lies ahead, yes, but so do joy, solace, and, above all, love.

“You must be careful with that, Roos. It’s a dangerous thing, to try and give someone everything. One day, you might find you’ve given away things you should’ve kept. Some parts of us must remain inviolate if we are to survive as a person.”

There’s a reason the word ‘haunting’ is rarely used in a positive way. To never be free of someone, well, that’s not always a comfort.”

some things one just doesn’t talk about, not with anyone. Some things are so shameful, so painful, that we lock them away deep inside us and pretend they don’t exist.