Starfish

by Akemi Dawn Bowman

“I guess not.” He raises his brow. “You know, if someone is going to be mad at you just because you didn’t let them have their way, you’re better off without them.”

“Don’t live to please the starfish, especially when their happiness is at the expense of yours. That is not love. That is narcissism. There’s an entire ocean out there, Kiko—swim in it.”

“Most of them are just doodles. They’re unfinished.” “Artwork isn’t finished just because you’ve colored up to every corner on the page. Artwork is finished when you get to the end of your sentence.”

You aren’t afraid to stare life in the eyes and demand a break sometimes.

I don’t want to need anyone. I want to stand on my own two feet. I want control of my own life and my own emotions. I don’t want to be a branch in someone else’s life anymore—I want to be the tree on my own.

I will be the person I need. I will be the one I can depend on, the one who has the power to make my life better or worse.