I Am Such A Pacific Northwest Girl.

To Lose Love Is A Terrible Thing. But To Turn Away From It Is Unbearable. Will You Spend The Rest Of Your Life Replaying It In Your Head? Wondering If You Walked Away Too Soon Or Too Easily? Or If You'll Ever Love Anyone That Deeply Again?

Lately He'd Been Seen Going Out Less And Less, Becoming That Strangest Of Animals In A Small Town: A Loner.

Girls Like You Can't Understand," Julia Said, And It Was True. Ellie Had Been Popular. She Didn't Know That Some Hurts Were Like A Once-broken Bone. In The Right Weather, They Could Ache For A Lifetime.

...this Fear Was Unbearable. It Unwrapped Who She Was, As Neatly As He'd Unwound Her Bandage, Leaving Too Much Pain And Ugliness Exposed. Nerve Endings; He'd Said They Were The Problem [causing Phantom Pain In The Amputated Limb]." Things That Cut Off, That Ended Abruptly Or Died--like Parents And Marriages--kept Hurting Forever.

That Was The One Thing She Knew Now. Some Chances Came And Went, And If You Missed Them, You Could Spend The Rest Of Your Life Standing Alone, Waiting For An Opportunity That Had Already Passed You By.