A Bird in the House

"People usually say there must be a God", Chris went on, "because otherwise, how did the universe get her? But that's ridiculous. If the stars and planet go on to infinity, they could have existed forever, for no reason at all. Maybe they weren't even created. Look - what's the alternative? To believe in a God who is brutal. What else could He be? You've ony got to look anywhere around you. It would be an insult to Him to believe in a God like that. Most people don't like talking about this kind of thing - it embarrasses them, you know? Or else they're not interested. I don't mind. I can always think about things myself. You don't actually need anyonne to talk to."

My father was a doctor, and like many doctors, his advice to his own family was of an exceedingly casual nature. My mother's prenatal care, apart from "For Pete's saake, honey, quit running around like a chicken with its head cut off", consisted mainly of admonitions to breathe deeply and drink plenty of water.

“My mother sighed, making me feel that I was placing an intolerable burden on her, and yet making me resent having to feel this weight. She looked tired, as she often did these days. Her tiredness bored me, made me want to attack her for it.”