Things You Save in a Fire

by Katherine Center

“You know, there are people who have no choice but to spend their lives avoiding their mothers. People whose mothers are mean, or toxic, or drunk. People whose mothers hurt them every time they let their guard down. But you are not one of those people. Your mother is actually a nice lady.”

“It’s about acknowledging to yourself that someone hurt you, and accepting that.”

As if you don’t always lose by definition when you push the people who love you away.

“That’s just the human condition, sweetheart. We’re always doomed to waste our time.”