We're all just marionettes, Ashline," Eve said softly. "Dangling, dancing, waiting. You can pretend like you pull your own strings, but in the end your only hope is that you've landed in the hands of someone who knows what the hell they're doing.

Now of course in hindsight, such a wonderful thing, though never around when you actually need it, I know that I always loved her deeply.

The truth is often of no consequence.

Only what you choose is what makes you.

Courage comes in the form of a girl.

Next time when I dive into the territory that I had lived next to, where my sister grew up, I know what to expect. I would be ready. I would be prepared.