“IN THE WEEKS THAT FOLLOWED, Livia played a new game every day. It was always some version of “Ignore Chris and Pretend Nothing’s Wrong With That.”

“I meant what I said to you. I wasn't playing some kind of summer game. Everything I said was true, from the first day. EVERY GODDAMN WORD.”

“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day.”

“Play on, when you're losing the game. Play on, cuz you're going to make mistakes. It's always worth the sacrifice, even when you think you're wrong.”

“Games were being played, that was all, and games of which he was largely ignorant and wished to remain so.”

“The impoverished always try to keep moving, as if relocating might help. They ignore the reality that a new version of the same old problem will be waiting at the end of the trip- the relative you cringe to kiss.”