"Maybe I don't want to be defined by what I do. Maybe I'd like to be defined by what I am." — Nicholas Sparks

Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards...and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

"Love doesn't mean anything if you're not willing to make a commitment, and you have to think not only about what you want, but about what he wants. Not just now, but in the future."

"Long-term relationships--the ones that matter--are all about weathering the peaks and valleys."