“Say a Hail Mary for me. I could use some forgiveness.”

“I know he did horrible things in the jungle. Things no amount of alcohol or pills could erase. War stains soldiers, all the way through their psyches, into their souls. I understand that, and could almost forgive him for taking his own life, to quiet the ghosts. But I can never forgive him for taking my mother with him.”

“Something stirred beneath my skin, some being inside I'd only suspected existed, demon or angel, I couldn't say.”

“Grown up? Me? I suppose I have. Killing things, and almost killing myself, must have changed me some, after all.”

“Don't botherMe with promises. Vows are cheaply manufactured,come with no guarantees.Don't bother to say youloveme. The word is indefinable.Joy to some, heartbreakto others, depending oncircumstance. Thereis evidence that the emotioncan make a person live longer,evidence it can kill you early.I think it's akin toa deadlydisease. Or at least some exotic fever. Catch it, andyou'd better, quick, swallowsome medication to use as a weaponagainst the fire ravagingbody and soul.”

“Anger is easier than forgiveness.”

“Some peopleNever find the right kind of loveyou know, the kind that stealsyour breath away.Like diving into a snowmelt.The kind that jolts your heart,sets it beating apace.An anxious hiccuping of hummingbirds wings.The kind that makes every terrible minute apart feel like hours.Days.Years.Some people flit from one insane possibility to the next.Never experincing the connection of two people.rocked by destiny.Never knowing what it means to love someone else,more than themselves.More than life itself, or the promise of something better.Beyond this world,More even (forgive me!) than god.Lucky me, I found the right kind of love.With the wrong person.”