“I didn't want to think about the fact that she could smell me, or that she just joked about eating me. At least I hoped she meant it as a joke.”

“I never asked her how she was, because I didn't really think about how she was. I just thought about what she thought of me.”

“Mama Lo can get a bit nasty whenever I play with the cubs. She thinks I'm going to eat one, but they're not to my taste. Too hairy. Now if she'd let me skin one, I might be interested." (Simi)He laughed in spite of himself. "Are you joking about that?" (Gallagher)"Oh no. I never joke about hairy food. It's disgusting." (Simi)”

“Then she smiled and told me I was cute, and that I should be careful, and I asked her why, then she said that she might fall for me, but I know she was joking, because who would want to fall for me? I'm a mess.”

“I said it, just like that. No stupid jokes, no changing the subject. For once, I wasn't embarrassed, because it was the truth. I had fallen. I think I had always been falling. And she might as well know, if she didn't already, because there was no going back now. Not for me.”

“I want - I want - I want - was all that she could think about - but just what this real want was she did not know.”