The Waiting Room

by Emily Bleeker

The only thing worse than being crazy was having other people see that you were crazy.

You eventually learn to live with the pain. That’s what grief is—living with pain. Time doesn’t heal all wounds; it just builds up your resistance.”

Sometimes you need a good, full-blown rager of an argument to work out all the kinks.

“I guess sometimes you run away from the flames, and other times”—he looked back down at Veronica and into her eyes, his hand leaving her back, making her shiver—“you stay and help put out the fire.”

Pains and struggles are not comparable. I don’t have some measuring stick I take out when you leave to see who has the most heartbreaking story. You get to feel what you feel, Veronica. And then we work on what we can control.

Remembering would never stop hurting, but it would never stop filling her up either.

Forgiveness was a funny thing—you gave it, but it also gave back to you.