“He stepped around me until he and Kale were nose to nose.Even though I knew it was the remnants of the storm, I could almost imagine the lightning overhead as sparks rising from the shoulders of each boy.Clashing Titans ready to fight to the death.”

“Kale turned away from me and stepped to Alex. "I know exactly what that means, and if you say it again, I'll touch you.""Sorry, dude," Alex said, waving his hands. He flashed Kale a mock frown. "I don't swing that-”

“And I know, by Noah's face, that even though he knew it, he didn't believe it, even though we all knew it, we were all holding on, somehow, hoping they'd keep trying, that they could just keep on living and fighting. We trusted them to do that.”

“He shook his head slowly from side to side, as though it were very heavy. I could almost hear the contents sloshing.”

“I stepped back and looked at all the people as they continued to weave in and out, around and around, faster and faster until they were one blur, until they were One. And then I knew what Bubbe meant. Here, was God.”

“I knew the truth about us: I could not be okay if he was not okay. Pain, nightmares, fighting- all of it aside- he was a part of me.”