This Could Be Us (Skyland, #2)

by Kennedy Ryan

Of truly attending to my hurts instead of expecting someone else to heal them?”

I feel powerful, like I no longer need to squeeze myself into smaller spaces to clear room for others. Maybe I was afraid I wasn’t big enough to occupy all this space alone.

Soledad hermosa. Beautiful solitude. Tears prick my eyes, spill over my lashes. It feels like a sign that I’m headed in the right direction, like a letter hooks sent encouraging me that I can be alone and not lonely. That this journey I’m on solo right now can be beautiful.

When conversing with the heart, expect it to talk back, to revisit the pains and disappointments that left the deepest dents and scratches.

At this point the only questions I’m interested in are the ones about myself. Shouldn’t I have known? The fundamental question becomes not Can I trust another man again?, but Can I trust myself? He was a bad man, yes, but was I a bad judge of character? And would I be again? What will I accept in my next relationship? Will there be another? What are my boundaries? My desires? My limits?

There’s something bold about eating alone, enjoying your own company and not waiting for nobody.

“For friendship,” she whispered into my hair. But I knew she really meant for courage.

And it seems bold. That feels brave. A woman who knew and loved herself well enough to rely on no one, choosing to risk her heart with more than one. Choosing to make room for love in all its varied forms.

In a way, I think she was talking about contentment, and it gets to the core of what I’ve been wrestling with.

“resting joy face,”