“Quickly ducking, I fall to the ground while taking grip on the table. Hearing the axe get stuck into the wall on the other side, I slyly crane my neck to see what he was going to do next.”

“Reaching the stairs, I take hold of the railing and begin to swing myself up the steps when lightening flashed and a silhouette of a small boy came into view.”

“Maybe so, but Luke Stark pushed me against the wall and told me he was gonna fuck me, I'd say, 'When and what you want me to wear?' And I would not care if he did pull a slam-bam-thank-you-ma'am. I'd just take my orgasm and go. You hear what I'm sayin' to you? Shirleen asked.”

“He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds; my other ears that hear above the winds. He is the part of me that can reach out into the sea. He has told me a thousand times over that I am his reason for being; by the way he rests against my leg; by the way he thumps his tail at my smallest smile; by the way he shows his hurt when I leave without taking him. (I think it makes him sick with worry when he is not along to care for me.) When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive. When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile. When I am happy, he is joy unbounded. When I am a fool, he ignores it. When I succeed, he brags. Without him, I am only another man. With him, I am all-powerful. He is loyalty itself. He has taught me the meaning of devotion. With him, I know a secret comfort and a private peace. He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant. His head on my knee can heal my human hurts. His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and unknown things. He has promised to wait for me... whenever... wherever - in case I need him. And I expect I will - as I always have. He is just my dog.”

“Shy, she’s yours, that’s what you say. Control your woman,” High demanded. “Get her ass out.”My eyes went to Shy to see him looking at High, and he wasn’t looking pissed. He was looking reflective. Then he said, “Tab and I don’t play it that way. You wanna order your old lady around, do what you do, not for me to say. I asked her to go, she didn’t go. Not gonna make her. But you try, you’ll deal with me.”God, I loved my guy.”

“Put your foot upon the neck of the fear of criticism by reaching a decision not to worry about what other people think, do, or say.”

“Lee on the other hand was not asexual. He might think of me as his little sister and could calmly sleep next to me without his nipples getting hard (or anything else getting hard for that matter) but I was pretty certain I could not do the same.”