“I never hear about dear Mike. I wrote Ellen Greene and asked about him and she replyed and never mentioned Mike but told me all about her roomatism. As if I cared about her roomatism.”

“I never asked her how she was, because I didn't really think about how she was. I just thought about what she thought of me.”

“(About her brief experience writing greeting cards...) I even wrote for a greeting card company -- for about a month. A family friend asked me to do it, but I hated it. Hated it. I told her I'd rather wear hats. Fortunately, she laughed. ”

“He knew everything about big Mike Ainsel in this moment, and he liked Mike Ainsel. Mike Ainsel had none of the problems that Shadow had. Ainsel had never been married. Mike Ainsel had never been interrogated on a freight train by Mr. Wood an Mr. Stone. Televisions did not speak to Mike Ainsel (You want to see Lucy's tits? asked a voice in his head).”

“Don't tell Mom and Dad about Ty,' I warn Mike. 'But they'll be so glad to hear you aren't gay!”

“Mike felt a tug somewhere in his chest he didn’t ever remember feeling, like someone was pulling at a hook. They were going to take care of this lovely woman. Keep her safe, take her away from danger. And then, well—forget about beating the guy up. Mike was going to find the fuckhead who’d hurt her and kill him.”