“The small seed of despair cracks open and sends experimental tendrils upward to the fragile skin of calm holding him together.”

“...it is love, imperfect and unordered, that keeps them apart, even as it holds them somehow together...”

“. . . crazy world or maybe it's just the view we have of it, looking through a crack in the door, never being able to see the whole room, the whole picture.”

“Eyes closed a knee in his back hand at his neck forcing his face into the floor of the elevator rough under his cheek smell of vomit and matted fur "God don't hurt me" struggles against indignity his pajamas pulled down around his knees a needle sunk deep into his thigh twists moans and all of it loose like water flowing salt tickles inner edges of his eyes into his mouth twists onto his back arms over his head raw wails of anguish break off in pieces hurt his ears "Baby it's okay" Leo is over him lifts coaxing "Let's get up off the floor huh?" arm around his waist sags heavy his wrist aches where Leo holds him dragged along the watery dark he rolls off Leo's shoulder to the bed eyes closed hands folded in prayer between his legs can't look "God don't hurt me. Please.”

“She hands him his coffee; crosses to the doorway; motes of dust flutter nervously in her wake.”

“Riding the train gives him too much time to think, he has decided. Too much thinking can ruin you.”

“To have a reason to get up in the morning, it is necessary to have some kind of guiding principle. A belief of some kind”