The Deal of a Lifetime

by Fredrik Backman

She was smarter than me, I never quite forgave her for that. She also felt more than me, that was her weakness, and it meant I could hurt her with words.

I failed with you. I tried to make you tough. You ended up kind.

You screamed so loudly when I came to get your brother, and I turned around and happened to look you in the eye. We’re not meant to do that.”

It’s bloody awful to admit to yourself that you’re not the kind of person you’ve always thought you were. All you normal people would have tried to save the child if you could, wouldn’t you? Of course you would. So when the woman with the grey sweater opened the door to the girl’s room, part of me cracked, because it turns out that I’m more normal than I thought.

We said very little, because there was too much I wanted to say. That’s always when we fall silent.