“Patricia embraces me on the station platform. 'The past is what you leave behind in life, Ruby,' she says with the smile of a reincarnated lama. 'Nonsense, Patricia,' I tell her as I climb on board my train. 'The past's what you take with you.”

“Slattern! What a wonderful new word. 'Slattern,' I murmur appreciatively to Patricia.'Yes, slattern,' Bunty says firmly. 'That's what she is.''Not a slut like you then?' Patricia says very quietly. Loud enough to be heard, but too quiet to be believed.”

“Stop. Stop that. Tell me what happened to you.” She gently ran her fingers down the length of his chest.Blake shook his head. “My life outside of this train station won’t touch you.” His green eyes swam with pain and determination.”

“Life is a train that stops at no stations; you either jump abroad or stand on the platform and watch as it passes.”

“My new friend," she said. "I met him at the farmers' market." Friend? Now there was some code. Suddenly, I realized why Patricia [his grandma] had sex on her mind, and then, just as suddenly, I had this whole new batch of unwanted images and thoughts. "So what do you think, hon? Saturday night, maybe?" Patricia asked my back. I leaned farther into the refrigerator. "Uhhh..." Milk, orange juice, pickles, mustard, canola oil, cream cheese, my grandmother having sex, please God, make it stop--Hon?”

“So is that it? Will I have to live the rest of my life like this? Not doing the right thing? Not saying the right words?""That's your choice. You can't change the past. Ah, but the future. . .you own the future." The Greenman smiled. "So, you tell me. . .what choice do you want to make now?”