The Three Lives of Cate Kay

by Kate Fagan

My mom shot words straight like arrows, often pointed at my heart. But me, I buried my feelings alive, just smothered them down.

Unmistakably, I was telling her something a little different from anything we’d said before, and she understood because a subtle ripple of dread passed through her eyes. Then she was tenderly collecting my hands in hers and pressing them against my heart as if to give me back to myself. The gesture was loving and kind and undeniable.

twice a day.)

Sidney is nuts dude

staring at the black canvas toes of my Converse

Hm? The toes aren’t canvas lol. Am I crazy? Or does this not make any sense?

so I was slow to react, distracted by how satisfied I was to have won, to have her out of LA and back with me.

Sidney you snake

And I was done trying.

Thank goodness. Leave her alone

“The trick of life, as I see it now, is to make what’s around you beautiful. It’ll grow from there. Took me a long time to see that.”

Broken things are beautiful.

“I’d tell her that only love will fill the black hole—that it’s the only thing worth chasing.”