Grown Ups

by Marian Keyes

‘When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability … To be alive is to be vulnerable’ Madeleine L’Engle.

‘You lived one life for a while, another life before that. Now you’re living out your passion for cycling. And at some stage you’ll evolve to the next thing.’

In real life when your person disappoints you, you have to readjust yourself – and not them – so you can keep loving them.

Her outline kept slipping, like a wonky contact lens that wouldn’t sit on the iris. When other people were around, she could do the back-and-forth talk, but lately it felt like muscle memory, rather than genuine engagement. Now and again both her selves overlapped perfectly, clicked into place, and suddenly she was there, in the moment. Intense feelings would surge through her, both good and not-so-good, then her outline would detach again.

‘Fight today’s war today. Leave tomorrow’s war until tomorrow.’