“God, Alex loved me.He truly did. I just hadn't learned that time is elastic: it stretches and gives, far more graciously than it probably should, and then one day, when you least expect it, something simply ruptures, and you sheltered life is done.”

“One of the key things is learning which bits of life you don't need to take seriously. Usually far more than you expect.”

“I love you Clary. More then I ever-- God. More than i probably should. You know that, don't you?”

“I love you, too, James, but that doesn’t give you a free pass.” “No, it doesn’t. Being your Dom does that, Love. I’ve compromised far more for you than I’ve ever done for anyone or anything in my life. Controlling you sexually is something I won’t be bending on...”

“In other words, I have tried to learn in my writing a monastic lesson I could probably not have learned otherwise: to let go of my idea of myself, to take myself with more than one grain of salt... In religious terms, this is simply a matter of accepting life, and everything in life as a gift, and clinging to none of it, as far as you are able. You give some of it to others, if you can. Yet one should be able to share things with others without bothering too much about how they like it, either, or how they accept it. Assume they will accept it, if they need it. And if they don’t need it, why should they accept it? That is their business. Let me accept what is mine and give them all their share, and go my way.”

“At least I'd done something right to day. Maybe. Probably.”