It made him shy, they way he felt the first time they stood together in a mirror. - Jhumpa Lahiri

The imperfection became a mark of distinction about their home. Something visitors noticed, the first family anecdote that was told.

She felt the lurch of a head rush. The boy who had not paid attention to her; the man who’d embarked on an affair knowing she could never be his; at the last moment he was asking for more. A piece of her was elated. But she was also struck by his selfishness.

Each revelation was devastating. Everything she said. And yet, even as my life shattered in pieces, I felt as if I were finally coming up for air.