120 Quotes by Jenny Downham

Day after day it was as if someone had taken my life apart and polished every bit of it really carefully before putting it all back together.

If I learnt anything at all about terminal illness in my research, it’s that the experience is different for everyone. I do believe that life becomes concentrated when it’s boundaried and that death is the biggest boundary of all.

She needed food. Diets didn’t count in a crisis.

I’m here, Tess. I’m right here, holding your hand. Adam’s here, too, he’s sitting on the other side of the bed. And Cal. Mum’s on her way, she’ll be just a minute. We all love you, Tessa. We’re all right here with you.

I sit up in bed and watch her fiddle about in the back of my wardrobe. I think she’s got a plan. That’s what’s good about Zoey. She’d better hurry up though, because I’m starting to think of things like carrots. And air. And ducks. And pear trees. Velvet and silk. Lakes. I’m going to miss ice. And the sofa. And the lounge. And the way Cal loves magic tricks. And white things- milk, snow, swans.

I wish I had a boyfriend. I wish he lived in the wardrobe on a coat hanger. Whenever I wanted, I could get him out and he’d look at me the way boys do in films, as if I’m beautiful.

The last few weeks, it was as if someone had taken his life to pieces and let him see the way it worked.

Then she says, ‘I love you.’ Like three drops of blood falling onto snow.

When he thought about her, he remembered her at the cottage, her eyes fiery, daring to love him. But standing here in front of him, she looked defeated and sad.