“He was standing in the middle of the room, an arrogant look on his face.“What a night,” Wendy sighed.Without even turning his head to look at her Raphael said, “Sleep.”Wendy fell backward, her head landing on the pillow.“Don’t do that to her!” Susan exclaimed.“You’d prefer to have this conversation with her listening?” Raphael asked, lifting one eyebrow.”

“I’m not this girl,” she whispered against his lips. He had to know, this wasn’t her. She didn’t kiss strange men. She didn’t feel this deep hunger inside.“I know you’re not,” he said. “But I am this man.”

“Because I am special.For the moment that was all she had to say. There would be more, much more, but the four words were like four candles, or the arms of the Crusaders' cross she wore on her sleeve. Because I am special.She shut the book and began to blow out the candle, before changing her mind. She sat back in her chair, and watched it glow.”

“Grandmother," Ruth admonished. "I would not have a man who could not at least understand me.""And it looks like you might have finally fond one, heaven be praised." Ruth began to grow irritated. "Grandmother, I wish you would have more faith in me.""I do, dear; it's the men I worry about.”

“All of us have a story like that one - some of us more than one. It's part of life and learning. Why, if babies stopped trying to walk the first time they fell down, the whole world would be full of people who crawled.”

“Sometimtes you don't even know what you really want until you get what you thought you wanted.”

“It's nine thirty as night, and it's still eighty-seven degrees outside. Besides, this is Southern California. When God makes it snow here, it's not a plan; it's a miracle.”