“Leave a silence alone, no matter how awkward it felt. Invariably the other person filled it, often with something unexpected.”

“The air between them began to settle into a silence. Awkward, yet softly exciting. Like an unexpected snow day.”

“He entertained these thoughts awkwardly, as a man entertains unexpected guests. Then, as he reached his objective, he pushed these thoughts away, as a man apologizes to his guests, and leaves them, muttering something about a prior engagement.”

“Insert the biggest, most awkward silence in the history of big awkward silences.”

“...within the souls of the awkward and the overlooked often burns something radiant.”

“We didn't say or write anything for a long time. Normally silence like that was uncomfortable and awkward. Like you needed to say something to fill the empty space in the air. But it didn't feel like that with Samantha. Maybe it was because I couldn't say anything and fill the quiet, but I thought it was more about two people just being with each other, enjoying the slowdown and the rare sunshine.”