“This is what happens when you take a step: you are moving closer to what you want.”

“Then you are the bird, and the bird, and the bird.”

“I had never seen her this way before, and I wondered why until I realized it was the tattoo; I saw, finally, there was magic at work here that was darker and deeper than I had imagined, that the tattoo was like putting a pair of spectacles on a child with poor vision. I stared up at the camp hill, my heart in my throat, and wondered what everything would look like, now that I could see.”

“Even Ayar's back tells the right time twice a day, and it was my turn to be right.”

“What's the use of being sexually liberated, if no one else wants you?”

“He was an Angel.  He walked in Grace.  When you meet one—and I’m sure someday you will—you’ll know it, too.  When he told me, it was, just, well, giving voice to something I already knew on a level.” “And how did you know for sure?”  I asked. “Did you see his halo?” “Do you want to cut down on the snark?   I’m your mother.  Given the events of the last two days, I’d think you’d be more inclined to take my word for it.” She had me there. “Besides, he did show me his—ah—true self.” “Is that a euphemism for penis?  Please let it not be a euphemism for penis.  You are talking about my dad.” “No, it’s not a euphemism.  I mean he showed me his Angel form.”

“So what were you doing there?”  Here’s the frustrating thing about Nate, one of those things that happy memories conveniently glossed over.  A lot of times, you had to ask him a question more than once to get a straight answer.  He loved to answer questions you’d never asked, or to answer a question with another question.   “Do I really have to answer that, Kyrie?” See? “Don’t you trust me?”  See?!”