#danika brown

[allfortheloveofabook]

'My advice?' Inez Holly arched an eyebrow. 'I'd say. . . anything you want to do, you can. Hurdles were made to be jumped, glass ceilings were made to be smashed.' She leaned in closer. 'But all that can be exhausting, so make sure you take care of yourself, too. There's great value in the things that bring you joy.' Dani blinked, taken aback. 'Things that bring me joy?' 'Outside of work,' Inez Holly added pointedly. ... 'Is it a bad thing if all the things that bring me joy seem to be vaguely absurd?'  'Certainly not,' Inez Holly said serenely, and waggled a mauve gel manicure in Dani's direction. 'Once every two weeks, I drive an hour to my favorite salon to get my nails done. I don't give a damn what else is on my to-do list; this is non-negotiable. Major or minor, if something keeps you human when pressure makes you feel like a volcano, hold on to that thing by whatever means necessary.'

Dani and Inez Holly in Take A Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert 

[allfortheloveofabook]

'I don't say the right things, or remember romantic little anniversaries. I find excessive affection obnoxious and I don't enjoy putting other people's priorities before my career and my family. These facts tend to disappoint prospective partners, and I'm too busy to deal with someone else's disappointment or the punishment that comes along with it. So I avoid the dynamic altogether.'  Zaf frowned. 'But that's...'  She arched an eyebrow.  'That's not how relationships should be,' he finished, thrown a little off-balance. She'd said those words with such flat, empty hopelessness, as if this was a lesson she'd learned the hard way. As if it was a simple fact that love would ask too much of her, and so she wouldn't or couldn't try. . . .  'I know,' she told him slowly, as if explaining something to a child. 'I don't do things right, and I don't think I want to. It all seems awfully dull and inconvenient. That's why I've chosen to abstain.'  'No. I meant—priorities that don't match, punishments for being yourself, that's not how a relationship should be.' She opened her mouth, then closed it. Apparently, he'd surprised her. 'People harp on about compatibility for a reason. If you value family and work, you just need someone who feels the same way, someone who admires that about you. If you can't do the sappy shit, you just have to find someone who's okay with that. Someone who understands how awkward you are—' 'I beg your pardon?' He ignored her. '—and loves it. I know you have a busy life, but you make room for the stuff that matters. If it was worth it, and you wanted to, you could make room for a relationship, too. What you get out of being loved, it's supposed to be worth the compromise. When it's good, it makes you want to compromise.'

Zaf and Dani from Take A Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert