Danielle Valentine

I think we all believe, somewhere deep in our bones, that darkness is fickle and easily placated with small gifts.

I didn’t know this then, but the truth is there’s no such thing as an uncomplicated pregnancy. We all give something up in exchange for our babies. Nearly everyone on this planet was welcomed by the sounds of a woman screaming.

How much more was I going to be expected to sacrifice to make this happen? I’d already given my body, my hormones, my time. And now, it seemed, my mind.

Io wished people would stop telling women they should be grateful for their suffering instead of trying to help them with it.

The thing I can’t get over is why there is still so much confusion over really common things. People have babies all the time. It shouldn’t be this big mystery anymore; it should be biology.

These doctors always seemed to think women’s emotions were things to be hidden and locked away and fixed.

I cried pretty easily back then, whenever I got a bad grade on an assignment or saw a sad movie, or when someone said something mean to me or anyone else, really.

There was no one around to hear her scream

“It stands for…Miranda?”

“What are your thoughts on bread?”