House of Glass

Sometimes the lies are debunked. Other times they’re so ingrained in the public consciousness they might as well be truth.

I believe evil is a natural force, like a hungry virus, perpetually swirling through the air and seeking places to infiltrate. Most of us bar the door against it. Others welcome it in.

People who endure childhoods like mine tend to go one of two ways, a therapist once told me. Either they try to give their kids the kind of parenting they wish they’d had, or they avoid children altogether.

Often, what we see in art is a reflection of us. Of our optics. Our mindset. Have you ever tried to read a novel and not enjoyed it, then gone back at another point in time and loved it? The story didn’t change. But you did. This is an insight into who we are at any given moment and what we bring to our unique intersection with art.

The most determined liar of all is someone who is fighting for their life. They’ll say anything, pretend to be anyone.

But our atmospheres were so different we couldn’t enter each other’s orbits.

She has also lost her joy. Her sense of safety has vanished.

The things we try to bury are often the things that need the most sunlight.

Now I look beyond my initial observations, taking in the details I didn’t see: There are no crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. No mirrors in Rose’s room or in the hallway. No china cabinets with clear panes. And workmen are replacing all the antique windows with sheets of clear plastic. Nothing in this house is made of glass.

Children’s games are hardly games. Children are never more serious than when they play. —Montaigne

I could never hate you. I love you too much for that.

No matter how many chairs a table holds, there won’t be enough room for the both of us.

What I liked the most about Tina was that she liked me.” I’ve heard this before from people who have been unfaithful. They don’t cheat because they’re wildly attracted to someone else. They do it because someone else made them feel attractive.

And I can’t help but think that for all of the losses life has dealt us both, it balanced the scales a bit when it gave us each other.

Isolation is a sunken pit always trying to lure me in, promising me the paradox of comforting familiarity and despair.

I know I’m not finished mourning my parents. I may never be. But today I need to move through the present, not the past.

Grief can consume us, so it’s a natural protective mechanism to get distracted by other things. Just because you sometimes feel happy or angry or you don’t think about Tina as often doesn’t mean you are dishonoring her memory. It means you’re trying to survive.” Ashley

You can’t protect yourself against loss, Stella. It’s part of living a full life.

Infidelities often begin with a slow blurring of boundaries, until crossing the final one doesn’t seem as momentous.

Harriet pretended to be Rose’s alibi during the time of Tina’s death. But I think Harriet was actually using Rose as her alibi.

Beth didn’t go to Tina’s funeral. Out of anger and embarrassment over Ian and Tina’s affair? Or something more sinister?

She needs help, Stella. Kids don’t do this sort of thing unless there is something seriously wrong at home.

Look, I acknowledge I wasn’t a great husband. Tina wasn’t my first affair. But I’m a good father. No matter what else they say about me, no one can take that away from me.

Ashley was fired because she is young and pretty. She has every right to be bitter.

It’s like a fairy tale: The beautiful heiress, engaged to the wealthy suitor, is rescued from a loveless life by the handsome, kindhearted laborer.

Despite all she has been through—a double betrayal, a death in her home, a public scandal, and a looming divorce—her manners are impeccable, her voice soft and cultured.

We no longer share a home or life together, but we still have this: A deep friendship. An enduring connection. A different kind of love.

Saying no to the man who gave me my career, walked me down the aisle, and has provided a shoulder during the dissolution of my marriage isn’t an option. So here I wait.

For all of the losses life has dealt us both, it balanced the scales a bit when it gave us each other.