“I’m talking to you in bed at one in the morning. How mad can I be?”I picture him there, in what, flannel pajamas? Underwear? Nothing at all?”

“One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas I'll never know.”

“What are you wearing?”I looked down at my soft flannel pajamas. I’d washed them so many times the plaid pattern had faded mostly to grays and whites. “What do you want me to be wearing?”Dan’s voice shifted a little. I imagined a smile. “Nothing.”Such a small thing, that little bit of flirting, but all at once I felt as if air had rushed into my lungs, and I hadn’t realized I’d been holding my breath. “Nothing but a smile.”

“I’m just trying to imagine you in flannel pink sock monkey pajamas. I’m sure you look stunning in pink. (Damien)Actually, with his skin tone he probably does look really good in it. I would definitely say he’s an autumn. (Kish)That’s summer, you dweeb. (Damien)I find it fascinating that you two women know that color palettes for clothes have a name. The fact you corrected him really scares me. (Sin)”

“One morning in Saigon she'd asked what it was all about 'This whole war,' she said, 'why was everybody so mad at everybody else?'I shook my head. 'They weren't mad exactly. Some people wanted one thing, other people wanted another thing.''What did you want?''Nothing,' I said. 'To stay alive.''That's all?''Yes.”

“I can assure you that your underwear is safe around me. I prefer having the little fruit on the underwear I’m wearing than to BE a big fruit in them.”