The New Couple in 5B

People love their devices—they telegraph wealth, fitness, virtue, the idea that they are so important and must be connected every moment. But I see them for what they are—the tools of corporations to keep you wanting, buying, unable to be present, shackled to their plans for you and your money. It’s a con, a scam, and the whole world has bought right into it.

Because in the end, that’s what our lives are—stories that we tell ourselves and each other. And those stories are all that remain after we’re gone.

Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it. William Shakespeare Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 5

There’s a light that comes from within you, Rosie. Something bright and right and true. Pure goodness. And I thought if someone like you could love me, then I must—on some level—be okay.

My mother said most everyone is looking for the same things. They want to be loved. They want to be safe. Some people think they want to be rich, or famous or powerful. But it’s really the feeling they think those things will give them that they truly crave. And

New York City, as much as I love it, is an assault, a daily punch in the face.

by man. Call yourself what you want. Pray to Jesus or Buddha or Allah or whoever. But God’s only name is Love, he used to say. The sky is our fresco. The stars, our angels, looking down.

Think about all the things that had to go wrong for just one thing to go right.

The idea of the happy family is so ingrained in our culture, that we cling desperately to even the worst origins. It takes a deep, abiding courage to let go.

It’s not psychic to be observant, to have a deep knowledge of the human condition. It’s just that so few people are paying attention, it seems like something otherworldly.

I remember wondering if anything was real, anything was true or if every place, every reality, was just another story you choose to believe.

Sometimes when your world falls apart, you just have to take action. Sitting helpless is not a good option.

They want to be loved. They want to be safe. Some people think they want to be rich, or famous or powerful. But it’s really the feeling they think those things will give them that they truly crave.

Daddy always said that you couldn’t see the stars in the city. But he’s wrong. They’re up there, twinkling dimly against all the light we create down here.

A predator might initially be very attractive to his victim. She might be drawn to his darkness, his violence, without even realizing it because of some trauma in her past, some subconscious craving for pain.

Make sure you’re taking care of yourself. Remember to eat well, sleep well, exercise, get enough downtime. These things are the foundation for wellness. When they start to slip, for anyone, things get a little wobbly. PTSD and anxiety love to work their way into the cracks in our foundation.

As if this is the thing all women want. The only thing. A rich husband, a litter of children, a big house in the country. Men can have their careers and their families, too. Women must choose, it seems.

The thing is never just the thing.

This life is a multiverse. You’re looking into a kaleidoscope, the facets always shifting, every moment impacting the moment that follows. You’re seeing the possibilities.

We can be both. Dark and light. Sadness and joy. They dwell side by side in everything.

The thing is never the thing, right?

But I don’t believe in luck—good or bad. Life just happens. It’s a roller coaster; you hang on tight and ride.

We can try to escape what we come from, but it stays with us in all sorts of ways.

Please,” says Max, desperate. “Tell me what is happening here.” But I don’t have any answers, only a million questions. They all jam up in my throat.

The information doesn’t compute. My husband doesn’t harass women. He doesn’t yell. He doesn’t hurt people. He doesn’t. More lies about my husband.

The apartment, so beautiful with its crown molding and tall windows, the stunning wood floors and fireplace with original mantel, suddenly feels malicious.

Don’t tell anyone in the building that you’re meeting me. Was she afraid of someone in this building?

Why would she call you up here and then kill herself so that you would find her?

Chad and Rosie,” says Charles. “We wish you a long and prosperous life here. We hope you’ll view us all not just as neighbors but as friends. Welcome to the Windermere!