“As his parted lips met mine, I started to feel breathless in a new and fascinating way.”

“And then we were kissing. My hand let go of the oxygen cart and I reached up for his neck, and he pulled me up by my waist onto my tiptoes. As his parted lips met mine, I started to feel breathless in a new and fascinating way. The space around us evaporated, and for a weird moment I really liked my body, this cancer-ruined thing I'd spent years dragging around suddenly seemed worth the struggle, worth the chest tubes and PICC lines and the ceaseless bodily betrayal of the tumors.”

“I feel like I might start crying and that I'm going to cry pee.”

“His hair was parted neatly on the left side in a way that he would have found absolutely horrifying.”

“I didn't know whether to feel angry at her for making me part of her suicide or just to feel angry at myself for letting her go.”

“If he is anything other than a total gentleman, I’m going to gouge his eyes out.”“So you’re into it.”“Withholding judgment! When can I see you?”“Certainly not until you finish An Imperial Affliction.” I enjoyed being coy.“Then I’d better hang up and start reading.”“You’d better,” I said, and the line clicked dead without another word.Flirting was new to me, but I liked it.”

“If I could do it all over again," he said, his speech slow and vaguely mangled by his massive lower lip, "I'd just let myself be trampled to death by the Satan Pig.”