“When my grandmother touches my hair in my sleep, I feel like a lost child. There is never enough of her to comfort me.”

“And still tears never feel like enough: the rinse something away, but only the surface, not whatever is underneath.”

“I want to clean myself like the window of a house, make myself clear for things to pass through. Flat and quiet.”

“I wanted nothing more than for her to feel me – my desire for her, the pleasure I could give her, my obsession for her.”

“You are my family. If we never have children, I will be disappointed, but if I never have you, I will be devastated. I love you. I need you. Please trust me enough to be my wife.”

“you're my first born child, and the person who first showed me the miracle of this love a mother has for her child. ”

“I'll never look at you in any way but complete admiration.” He stroked her hair soothingly. “You will never be a millstone about my neck. Rather you're the sunshine that brightens my day.” He swallowed. “Don't you see? You brought me into the daylight. You've embraced parts of me that I was never able to let see light. Don't make me retreat again into the night. (Winter Makepeace)”