Anastasia

by Sophie Lark

“The man who waits for ‘someday’ waits all his life …”

“Anything lovely by daylight is even better by night.”

books were ten times more interesting than any boy.

“It hurts because we love him. That’s the balance of life, hard as it is to accept. A heart open to joy is a heart vulnerable to sorrow. There’s no family without loss, no love without pain.”

“Whatever else is taken from you, never lose hope. Even if you see how dark the world can be, choose to believe it could be better.”

Children are born in a shadow A shape they’re meant to fill An idea A trait A need A tool Flesh combines, spirit is summoned Even the poorest magician Can create this alchemy Sometimes by accident A permanent spell Ingredients that can never be unmixed Why summon a demon? If you only wanted a dog

“Because she was miserable in her marriage. I don’t know how it benefits the gods for a woman to suffer humiliation and loneliness all the days of her life.”

You alone must take the first step on your journey

Suffering changes you. Either you become cold and bitter, divorced from human feeling. Or the opposite occurs, and you can’t bear to inflict the pain you’ve felt on anyone else.

Even if you see how dark the world can be … choose to believe it could be better. Life had been beautiful once. It could be beautiful again.

“Every mark on you is something you survived to get back to me. You have never looked more beautiful.”

Every part of her was precious, every part was perfect—her strengths and her flaws, her heart and her mind.

“I made you mine.” She closed her eyes, letting out a long sigh. “I was yours all along.”

“It doesn’t matter if they like you. When something awful happens, they trust you to know what to do.”

Love is the strongest energy in the universe

I wasn’t afraid of my worst memories. You don’t forget what changes you—you shouldn’t.