“Don’t count him out, Julia. He hasn’t given up on you.”

“Can’t clean up after you anymore, baby brother, so don’t punk out. Make it count.”

“Soon man will count all his days, and then smaller segments of the day, and then smaller still—until the counting consumes him, and the wonder of the world he has been given is lost.”

“Gabriel kissed Julia as if he knew her, as if she belonged to him. His kiss was passionate and full of emotion, as if every fiber of his being had melted and spread itself on his lips only to be given to her.”

“I don’t think that God cares about what you think. It’s the actions that count. Actually He doesn’t care what you do as long as you keep Him in mind.”

“Forgive but don’t forget, girl keep your head up. And when he tells you you ain’t nothing, don’t believe him. And if he can’t learn to love you, you should leave him.”