“I turned back to the television. After a while what I was staring at registered. “Hey, this is The Long Goodbye."Jake opened his eyes. “What?""This movie. It's Robert Altman's take on Chandler's The Long Goodbye. ‘Nothing says good-bye like a bullet.’”"I don't know,” said Jake. “Sometimes the words are enough.”

“I do not say goodbye. I believe that's one of the bullshitiest words ever invented. It's not like you're given the choice to say bad-bye, or awful-bye, or couldn't-care-less-about-you-bye. Everytime you leave, it's supposed to be a good one.”

“What do you want Phoenix?""I'm going away for a while. I wanted to say goodbye." He smiled, but it was empty. There was nothing there."Fine, goodbye.”

“I don't know how you say good-bye to whom and what you love. I don't know a painless way to do it, don't know the words to capture a heart so full and a longing so intense.”

“When friends speak overmuch of times gone by, often it's because they sense their present time is turning them from friends to strangers. Long before the moment came to say goodbye, I think, we said goodbye in other words and ways and silences. Then when the moment came for it at last, we didn't say it as should be said by friends. So now at last, dear Mouse, with many, many years between: goodbye.”

“Anyway," Jake says. I turn back to him. “I just wanted to start over a good note, that’s all.”I have to put this poor guy out of his misery. “Look, Jake, I’m not in the market for –“ I almost say a boyfriend, which is true, but this is even truer: “People”.”