“You know, this is the first time in many years that I really wished I hadn’t given up smoking. It would give me something to do with my hands, so that I wouldn’t use them to strangle you.”

“Of course I loved you, you saved my life. I wish you hadn’t I wish you hadn’t I wish you’d left me alone.”

“Would I lie to you?”“There was that time you told me the mud pies would give me flying powers if I ate them.”“Not my fault. I really thought they would.”

“I love you like a brother, Stryder, but I swear there are times when I could strangle the very life out of you. (Zenobia)’Tis a good thing you care for me then. Given my treatment, I shudder at what you would do to me should you decide to hate me. (Stryder)”

“I miss you. You don’t know how much I miss you. You don’t know how my heart sinks inside me when I think how far away you are. But then, maybe you know that feeling. I hope you do. No, I wouldn’t wish that on you. But then, yes I would . . .. Forgive me for missing you that much.”

“As for myself, the part of me that still believes that I was given up because there was something wrong with me will diminish with the passage of time. But I feel sad when I think about all those years of not really knowing the truth. Would it have made me feel better about myself if I had known my story? Or would it still have taken me this long to understand what it all meant?”