“Love from one being to another can only be that two solitudes come nearer, recognize and protect and comfort each other. ”

“There is nothing stronger in this world than gentleness.”

“I’ve only ever loved two boys—both of them with the last name Fisher. Conrad was first, and I loved him in a way that you can really only do the first time around. It’s the kind of love that doesn’t know better and doesn’t want to—it’s dizzy and foolish and fierce. That kind of love is really a one-time-only thing.”

“Things weren’t the same with us, not right away, and maybe not ever. We were growing up. We were still figuring out how to be in each other’s lives without being everything to each other.”

“We sit huddled together for a few minutes, just being there with one another, and it feels dangerous to me that nobody is saying anything.”

“There hadn’t been one specific moment. It was like gradualy waking up. You go from being asleep to the space between dreaming and awake and then into consciousness. It’s a slow process, but when you’re awake, there’s no mistaking it. There was no mistaking that it had been love.”

“Love consists of this: two solitudes that meet, protect and greet each other. ”