“The essential truth of life, he was coming to realize, wasn't romanticand took only two words to label: Shit. Happens.But the thing was, you kept going. You kept your friends and yourfamily and your mate as safe as you were able. And you kept fighting evenafter you were knocked down.”
“Life kept you busy fighting off troubles, and you looked up, and the best parts of your life were gone.”
“I lived for the night, because I could go over to your house. It was the only thing that kept me going. You were the only thing, actually. It was… you.”
“Fear kept you sharp, that it kept you steadfastly holding on to your life.”
“In this world,” I kept whispering, “you were the only thing I had but you were the only thing I needed.”
“Fine," he repeated, and I wondered why it was I kept coming back to this, again and again, a word that you said when someone asked how you were but didn't really care to know the truth.”