Bright Side (Bright Side, #1)

by Kim Holden

I'm an optimist, but first and foremost, I'm a realist. My life will not follow a fairy tale, and that's okay. My life is reality. And in my reality, people don't fall in love and get married and live happily ever after, because life is complicated. And messy. I'm happy knowing that fairy tales exist out there for people,

"I'm not saying you shouldn't pursue dreams and goals. Just don't forsake the present for the unknowns of the future. A lot of happiness is bypassed, overlooked, postponed to a time years from now that may never come. Don't bide your time and miss out on this moment for a tomorrow with no guarantee."

My parents are very…" he pauses, "driven. Very goal-oriented. They didn't give me love…they just…gave me expectations. They expected good behavior, and good manners, and good grades, and expected compliance with every demand,

I'm a terrible liar. Withholding information I'm good at, but flat out lying? I'm terrible.

Maybe it's because I'm tired, or maybe it's the medication I'm on, or maybe deep down I'm just an unsympathetic bitch, but I can't listen to it anymore.

His adorable smile softens the blow that comes with the words. I'll never have that. Never. And that sucks.

Now, the only emotion I can focus on is fear. Pain is dominant, but fear is creeping in like a predator ready to attack, coming in for the kill. I can't turn my back on it, or it will take me down. Is this what my life has been reduced to?

Sometimes, when something terrible is happening, I try my damnedest to concentrate on the most inconsequential, unrelated detail readily available to me. A detail that, in the grand scheme of things, has nothing to do with the situation at hand.

Be spontaneous. Life has too many rules and restrictions and schedules. Change your plans to make room for fun. Be late every once in a while

The walk to the hearse is short. The drive to the cemetery is long. The rest is a blur. I can feel the panic rising.

Just when you think you know someone, they change. Or you change. Or maybe you both change. And that changes everything.

I'm crying again. I cry so often now that sometimes I don't even realize it until the tears are already streaming down my cheeks.

she was confident and funny and kind. She was the most honest person I've ever met. She had life all figured out, and she knew how to treat people, to make them feel special and valued. I gave her everything I had. I let her see the good and bad. I showed her things no one else had ever seen. She forced me to take a hard look at myself and my life. And her love gave me the courage to change it.