...She had the rare ability to be exactly what people needed when she was with them and yet still remain true to herself. - Nicholas Sparks

I wish I had the talent to paint the way I feel about you, for my words always feel inadequate. I imagine using red for your passion and pale blue for your kindness; forest green to reflect the depth of your empathy and bright yellow for your unflagging optimism. And still I wonder: can even an artist's palette capture the full range of what you mean to me?

Denial is an ugly thing, Nicky. I'm not in denial. See what I mean? That's denial.

...there'd also been an unvarnished honestly in what they'd said. There were no hidden meanings, no secret attempts to pass judgment; as quickly as their disagreements had flared up, they'd pass.