“no matter how big his smile or how loud his laugh, you could hear the hurt underneath.”

“What's the matter?" And she could hear the smile in his voice. "Cat got your crotch?”

“No matter how thin you get, no matter how short you cut your hair, it's still going to be you underneath.”

“I have also noted, over the course of our friendship, that his hearing is curiously erratic. He can hear a lizard-bird scratching itself half a mile away, but occasionally seems unable to hear the politest of requests no matter how loudly I shout them at him.”

“It doesn't matter how greatly you've been hurt or how much you're hurting, it's what you do with the pain that counts. You could cry for years or you could choose to learn and grow from it.”

“I'm sorry about the trouble, Karen," he said, loud and clear, so everyone could hear how reasonable he was being.She scowled up at him, eyes narrowed. Her arm flew almost faster than I could see. The smack of flesh against flesh was loud in the silence, and a small red handprint stood out starkly on his left cheek. "You have no idea how sorry you're going to be.”