What Doesn’t Break

by Cassandra Khaw

“Some people find it easier to accept that horrible things will happen than to actually fight them,”

(He did not, as a rule, care much for religion, which seemed to inevitably villainize someone, all so its divinity could have a foil.)

Because it didn’t seem fair to Laudna that she had to carry both her murderer and the weight of Delilah’s transgressions.

If proximity to the proverbial devil was all it took to condemn her, what was the point?

The first thing Laudna saw was lavender hair

she made Laudna think of entire fields of lavender in full bloom.

Even if she was still around a hundred years from now, Laudna would be able to recall, with perfect clarity, every freckle on Imogen’s face, and the lavender curls that hung just over her eyes.

Nothing was allowed to make Imogen cry. Not while Laudna lived.

“You don’t fill my head up with noise. You’re different.”

home could be a person too.

“Just be yourself. You don’t need to do anything else. I just want you here, that’s all. Next to me.”