Three blocks from their homes, the playground was filled with children and parents. Days off from school were usually celebrated by excited children and precisely planned by wise parents.
A delicate balance of entertainment and exhaustion was necessary if the day were to end without tears.
Alone is how he had been since his wife of fifteen years fell sick leaving him with a young son and guilt over the part he played in her contracting the virus that cut her life short. His disbelief in the virus and the true impact it was having on the world (…)
She was impatient and lashing out, unfortunately landing her sting at her father’s feet. Oliver didn’t complain, after all, it’s the burden of a parent to absorb their child’s pain and sadness. Kerry just wished he didn’t have to do it.
Kerry learned to not judge how others chose to deal with pain. Not everyone needed to be in an episode of Dr. Phil for their wounds to be healed. She learned that herself, choosing to not revisit her painful past.
James nodded. He knew exactly why Jayson wanted to avoid the kids in the class. That was the benefit of having a best friend. You never needed to explain why you were feeling crappy because they always got it.
Greed, revenge, and love were the three main motives that usually convinced people to commit the ultimate crime. An urge to harm inspired some crimes, while the desire to protect influenced others.
(…) her mother told her that life could be cruel, but added with a wistful smile, that gentleness also existed within the darkest of moments. She just had to look for it.
Moore had the type of swagger that came from never having been picked on or ridiculed. Crap, Jayson thought as he watched him, the kid even knew how to stand right.
It was an unwritten rule, Katrine learned, that mourning needed more than time to heal. It needed space.