“I decide that I like the idea of Liz as a dragon. One of my favorite storybooks was about goodluck dragons, how their arrival always means something wonderful lies ahead. If that's true, then, as far as I'm concerned, Liz can spit as much fire as she wants. And if I stand near enough to it, maybe I'll glow a little, too.”

“Your hair is ridiculous,' I say. 'And I love you.' I'm surprised how easily the words come out.'My hair is ridiculous.' Charlie smiles even wider and says, just as easily, 'And I love you too.”

“My heart broke when he died, split in half and fell down into my stomach or somewhere deep and muddy, and I'm still not sure where it is now. I hear it beating sometimes in my ears, or feel its fast pulse in my neck, like I do now; but in my chest, where it should be, it mostly just feels empty.”

“Deceased's request as stated in last will and testament: 'I want to be made up to look undead, like the fucking sexiest vampire chick you can imagine, for an open-casket viewing.”

“The tone of his voice tells me I may have found something Tim's not cool with-this conversation.”

“So here I am, the one-and-only Amazing Donna, superhero of freaked-out insomnia, and proud owner of a team of unruly stallions. I should totally get a cape.”

“Once I learned how to make pot holders out of multi-colored pieces of panty hose, but that doesn't seem quite on par.”