I Thought You Said This Would Work

by Ann Garvin

She had a way of pointing out foolishness without making me the fool.

I took my child from Mrs. Langdon’s arms and said, not unkindly, “How could I possibly know what I want? I don’t even exist anymore.”

For my part, I realized that putting your thoughts and emotions into simple sentences was easier than building a life where those sentences would never have to be uttered.

“Safety and the idea that you can keep anyone safe is an illusion. But, loving someone is the ultimate safekeeping.”

This was the comfort of love. It didn’t cure cancer or reduce the pain of childbirth, but it cloaked lovers, friends, and family in an embrace that stretched far and wide and was supremely difficult to break, despite our best idiotic efforts.