The Other Family Quotes

“At the reference to our marriage, we both went quiet. “Do you miss being married?” I asked, though all the possible answers made the hibiscus flower in my stomach feel like it had tentacles. “I don’t know how to answer that. I miss you, Ally, for sure. I don’t miss the fights, though. Being together started to amplify all the negatives—the anger, the worry, the frustration.” “That’s true,” I said quietly. “I have to admit it.” “And we’d be dishonest if we claimed Kylie’s challenges caused all those things. The problems were always there, even when we were sincerely happy with each other. We just thought if we ignored them they’d go away.” “Also true.” “I’ll always love you,” Matt said. “But . . .” He put his arm over my shoulder. “No buts. I’ll always love you. It’s not the same kind of love as when we were happily married. It’s more of an appreciation for that time, for what we once had.” “Does the other stuff—the fighting and anger and tears—does that stuff make you hate me a little?” “I hate what we became. That bickering, sniping couple that made other people become uncomfortable in their presence.” I took a breath. “So we need to get a divorce, don’t we?” “We do.”
― Loretta Nyhan, The Other Family

“I welcomed the comfort of my mom’s home. Unchanging and predictable, my mother made the earth beneath my feet feel steady. And though she’d been an overworked single mom, she managed to infuse her quiet version of warmth and love in every part of her house—it was the scent of my childhood, and it persisted, just as she had.”
― Loretta Nyhan, The Other Family

“Apologies should be made quickly, before unchecked anger grows to unmanageable fury.”
― Loretta Nyhan, The Other Family

“Adults build fortress-like defenses against disappointment. Kids barely have the tools to construct a chain-link fence.”
― Loretta Nyhan, The Other Family

“The question is, how much energy does worrying require?”
― Loretta Nyhan, The Other Family

“teal pumpkins alerted the community that a house was safe for food allergy sufferers.”
― Loretta Nyhan, The Other Family

“Things always get hard. If you’re with the right person, you join hands and climb the mountain together. If you aren’t, well, the hard thing gets even harder and then everything’s so brittle it just cracks.”
― Loretta Nyhan, The Other Family

“Strong people always find a way to make the most of the life they’ve been given.”
― Loretta Nyhan, The Other Family

“If I had to making a shopping list for life,” she said, “I know what I’d write at the top—family. It’s the most important thing.”
― Loretta Nyhan, The Other Family

“Problems were solved by taking action. Worry never solved problems. Neither did fear.”
― Loretta Nyhan, The Other Family

“anything”
― Loretta Nyhan, The Other Family

“There are lots of ideas living in my brain, and they have idea babies all the time, and it’s too crowded for me to clear them out.”
― Loretta Nyhan, The Other Family

“Love is stronger than blood. Don’t you ever doubt that.”
― Loretta Nyhan, The Other Family