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“All of the emotions that hit people at times like these, all of them, were coursing through us both like a secret we couldn’t tell. Because if we said everything we were thinking and feeling right then…if we laid it all out for one another…we might not like the way the words strung together. Or the way fear and hope and bitterness and love mashed up into one big mess in the pits of our stomachs.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“I’d stumbled upon the inner sanctuary of a woman who loved the world. Loved the faces of people she saw. Loved the way a hand looked when it was relaxed. Loved the way a woman looked when she touched her own face. The way a man looked when he opened himself to her. Loved the way wind changed a tree or a field or a child’s hair. The beauty of a neck meeting a shoulder. The softness of a smile that wasn’t forced.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“I won’t forget it,â€� I said. “I hope you meet someone perfect one day.â€�
“Ha…yeah, that’s just it. I think I already did.â€� As we opened our doors to step out, he touched my arm. “Just to be clear, if I, like, leaned over and whispered your name in your ear, still nothing?”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“It was about how men walk into a forest afraid because they know all the things that can happen. They might wake the noisy birds and cause chaos. But kids come into the trees and see the magic. They climb them and see stars that the men were too afraid to see.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk

“In my mind, I saw a string stretching from Henry’s heart at Quiet Waters to my heart. It was taut and it vibrated with Henry’s worries and fears and I felt them all.
Deeply. I felt them all.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“But with her eyes closed, she began to whisper. “If you have someone to love, then love. If you have someone to forgive, then forgive. You think, when you’re seventeen, there’s time enough for that, but there’s not. There’s no time at all.â€�
I squeezed her hand, trying to think of how to respond. But she took the burden from me and kept whispering. “You want to know why God gave us people to love? Because that’s the only way we can understand how he feels about us. Desperate and jealous.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“For a second, I stared at the map of her veins just under the surface of her thin skin. It was like her body was trying to become diaphanous. Instead of getting harder and stronger and full of life as we age, we disappear slowly. Our skin thins and evaporates. Our nails barely coat our fingertips. Our hair falls out. We are never more see-through.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“Okay, news flash. Jealousy is not something I enjoy. I hadn’t felt it much before. But I’d also never been in love. And I’d never been 3,300 miles away from the girl I loved while some punk sat next to her on a couch. A punk who had designs on her, according to Dylan. I needed to lay eyes on this guy.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“The first thing I needed, possibly the only thing, was to kiss her and I did, for as long as I could. I let us both breathe for a minute, and I perched her on a counter so I could touch the face I’d missed so much.
I poured every bit of frustration, anger, sadness, and worry into that kiss. Meg understood and received it all, pushing her fingers into my hair and giggling against my lips. I didn’t care that anybody passing by could be watching us through the window, or that I could fall right there and sleep for a week.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“You look incredible, Kavanagh,â€� Quinn whispered close to my ear. “Are you trying to kill me?â€�
“Ssshhh,� I hissed. “They’re going to hear you.�
“I can’t tell my date she’s beautiful?�
I turned my head. “No. No, you can’t.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“We formed an impromptu circle just so we could look at each other and memorize faces. We hardly noticed the waiting officials. We hardly noticed anything but our little family whose ties weren’t loosening at all. In fact, this impending separation only seemed to be binding us together with a double overhand knot, hard to untie and unfailing.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“He was taking a leap here, negotiating with a crackhead, under the table, in a dark cantina. The courage etched on his face came from loving Aidia so much he’d close his eyes and walk through fire to see her safe.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“Quinn spoke their language—all mystery and inside jokes, scarred souls and statement shirts. It was a beautiful moment for him—in his element and completely happy.
When they started playing, he leaned over and whispered in my ear. “See that guitar?�
I nodded.
“That’s a 1969 Martin D28. Hear me when I say if I had to choose between a beautiful girl and that guitar, I’d choose the guitar. Natch.� He took a huge gulp of water, clearly affected.
“Naturally,â€� I whispered. “It could be why you’re still single.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“I needed out. The Jeep wasn’t fast enough. I shut it down, grabbed the keys and started running like a bear was at my heels. I couldn’t even see Henry anymore through my tears so it surprised me when he caught me in his arms halfway. The first thing I did was pound on his chest and ask him why he hadn’t called. The second thing I did was kiss him so hard he couldn’t answer me.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“Camus and Henry waved to me from that muddy truck. They both wanted me to get over myself.
So, this was me, getting over myself. And it was about time.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“Wait,â€� Quinn said. “There’s one more thing.â€�
I turned around and raised an eyebrow. His eyes were wary and he lacked his usual confidence.
“Go to the Winter Dance with me.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“I’m not sure about all the particulars that led to this moment. Do I believe life is a series of dots to be connected…or that no one can outrun destiny…or that all roads lead to truth and coincidence is a lie to distract us? The reason I was in this place no longer mattered. The harsh reality stared me in the face and demanded an immediate decision. Walk away and blame it on my age. Or stay and try to help a woman who had slowly become my friend over the last few weeks.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“And what do you want?â€�
I almost choked. “How could you even ask me that, Henry?�
He sighed. “Because I’m thousands of miles away. Because I Skyped into your living room late one night and there’s a dude sitting next to you in the dark. Because Thanet tells me things. And Tennyson sent me a picture of you in a dress that looks like lingerie.�
“It’s not that bad,� I said.
“I didn’t say it was bad, Meg. It’s about a million miles from bad.â€� His voice was breaking with exasperation. “Things are crazy here, and I’m questioning everything.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“Look at this one.â€� I picked up a small painting of a man with dark hair and a short, dark beard. He wore a loose shirt, cobalt blue, unbuttoned at the top, showing a prominent, knobby collarbone. He looked…complicated and hungry. She’d captured him focused intensely on a book, his face pressed against a wall like he was resting. Or waiting.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“My mom told me once that Wyatt loved her the way a boy will love his mother, but I loved her the way an artist loves another. Jo taught me what that meant.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“I really want to believe that when our Quiet Waters kids wake up in the middle of the night, scared, they’ll remember being in their bunks with John and Kate and Whit and me right there protecting them,â€� he said. “I hope we gave them that sense of belonging because I know there’ll be times in their lives when grasping at those bonds could mean the difference between making it and not.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“What I know about you, Henry,â€� he said. “Is that you, as big as you are, know how to walk gently on this earth.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“Thanet is having a moment,â€� I said, leaning forward so Quinn could see him.
“What’s wrong, man?â€� Quinn said. “Were you not aware high school dances suck? That they always have sucked and they will continue sucking as long as the world turns?”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“I worried I would miss it, and I knew, from losing Wyatt, that things happen the moment the soul is released. Wyatt had been there in the school, watching me, making sure I survived. Souls linger…they do. They linger a bit before they turn toward eternity. It could be that no matter how perfect their future will be, the past still tugs for a moment.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“He smiled and squinted at me again, tilting his head up and to the right as he stared. “Maybe what I’m attracted to in you is more than your looks and your brain and your humor.â€� He leaned closer like he had a secret. “It could be your soul,â€� he whispered.
I pushed his cheek until he was squinting at the door to the kitchen instead. “Is this when you tell me I’m your soul mate, O’Neill?”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“She didn’t see me because of the reflection on the store windows, and she wouldn’t know me in this car anyway. In fact, she probably wouldn’t know me with shaggy hair and the beginnings of a beard. So I sat for a minute, watching her dusting bookshelves, either talking to herself or singing. Her feather duster had become a prop in whatever scene she had going.
She looked heart-stoppingly, breathtakingly beautiful, my Meg.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“Quit worrying so much about the boards and nails of your life. Focus on the stuff that lasts.â€� He glanced through the window toward the glowing light of the kitchen where Meg and my mom were laughing about something.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk

“Let’s go to town,â€� Jo said. “Take me to eat dinner at the hotel.â€�
I sucked in a breath and stared at her for a minute. Here she sat, her hair still wet although neatly braided, wearing an old Kiss sweatshirt, the one with the red mouth and tongue, red sweatpants, and ridiculous red pumps with black scuffs on the toes and heels.
And she wanted me to take her to the Hotel Wyoming, where the rich tourists hung out. I smiled. Because it was possibly the greatest thing I’d ever heard.
“Yeah, let’s go to the hotel. Grab your purse and I’ll find your coat.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“Henry drew a shaky breath. “Do me a favor, Meg.â€�
“Anything,� I whispered.
“Don’t fall for Quinn O’Neill. If you’re going to do this thing with him…go to this dance, don’t fall for him.�
“Never,� I said. “I promise.�
“Because I’m all filled up on sad right now.� He sniffed again and I could tell he was more in control. “And you can’t ask me to sit by and watch you get all caught up in this guy. I can’t handle that—thinking he swept you off your feet because he bathed in body spray and dressed up.� His voice sounded rough. “I know you think I’m being funny right now, but I’m completely serious. Don’t make me watch that happen.�
“You know my heart,â€� I said. “It’s yours.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass

“I didn’t look at Thanet. I couldn’t because he would see the hurt on my face.
“He loves you,� Thanet said. “He’s hurting and it’s not just the Quinn thing. It’s being away from you and wondering if you’re hurting, too. Or if you’re having too much fun to hurt. What he really needed was to laugh, though. So we laughed…until he cried.�
That undid me. I looked at Thanet with so many questions on my lips.”
― Laura Anderson Kurk, Perfect Glass