“It called to him, a sweet heady beacon of femininity, fertility, and fuckability. His three favorite f-words.”

“She was his beacon to what others called decency, not because she told him how to act but because she made him want to try.”

“The F word turns me on, she whispered. The F word?FoodHe threw back his head and laughed. It rumbled up out of his chest and felt so good it startled him. For the first time in years,his laughter was spontaneous. It wasn`t tinged with bitterness and cynicism.”

“I cursed. (S-word, f-word, s-word, d-word, s-word times three, f-word, and a z-word I made up on the spot.) I kicked a brick wall. I said the z-word again in response to the pain that came from kicking a brick wall.”

“My favorite six letter word isalwaysbecause it promisesso much.My favorite five letter word isneverbecause it insists on contradictingthe promise.My favorite four letter word isoncebecause it says ithappened then. My favorite three letter word isyesbecause I’m just now learningto say itto my heart. My favorite two letter word isifbecause it makesall things possiblelike this: If not alwaysIf not neverThen once. Yes.”

“If he was not commonplace, it was through nothing remarkable in his mind, which was simply clear and practical, but through some combination of qualities of the heart that made men trust him, and women call him sweet--a word of theirs which conveys otherwise indefinable excellences.”