Maynard Defouw

“Mom, please don't use 'the happy voice.' It reminds me of the day Tinkles died."
"Who was Tinkles?" Sue asked around a mouthful of pancake.
"My cat. When I was five, Tinkles died choking on a mouse that was a bit ambitious for a kitten to eat."
"It was terribly traumatic for Aurelia because it was the first time she'd experienced loss." 
"What did you do to help her get through it?" 
Rosalind smiled at Mother Guardian. "Well, after a good cry, we performed an autopsy."
Aurelia reached for her mother's hand. "I never thanked you for that.”
― Therisa Peimer, Taming Flame

“Er sah auf sie herab und wusste, dass sie tot war. Aber dabei war ihm, als könne er ihr später erzählen, dass er sie tot in der Badewanne gefunden hatte, und mit ihr darüber reden. Als sei sie nur mal eben tot, nicht für lange, nicht für immer.”
― Bernhard Schlink, Die Enkelin

“The devil wins only through lies and deception.”
― Kathryn Krick

“Every day is a battle. Still. She doesn’t need this…this mess. The nightmares. She doesn’t deserve what I’d put her through. And she probably wouldn’t stick around anyway. Who would?”
― J. Rose Black, Losing My Breath