“So... it's her. She's the Game Changer for you?”

“I’ll wait for however long it takesbecause I know she’s afraid that if sheallows herself to be totally happy, it willbe taken away from her again. She needsto know that I’m not going anywhere. I cantell her all I want, but she needs to feel it.”

“I’d never, ever do anything that would hurt you. That I promise. I’m so happy that we are together right now, I can’t even tell you.”

“This isgood. What you said, it’s not entirelywrong. It’s pretty much right on target. I’mafraid that if I let myself completely relaxand be happy, something bad is going tohappen again. You’re the person thatmakes me the happiest, so you’re right.I’m afraid to say it out loud. I’m afraid ofjinxing myself, but you know how I feel,right?”

“He broke his promise. He said he would never hurt me, he said he would never leave. Against my better judgement, he made me believe in forever again... until now.”

“…always felt the pain of her friends so keenly that she could not speak easy, fluent words of comforting. Besides, she remembered how well-meant speeches had hurt her in her own sorrow and was afraid.”

“Really, Nan could be very odious when she liked. Yet somehow she [Gay] didn't hate her as before. She felt very indifferent to her. She found herself looking at her with cool, appraising eyes, seeing her as she had never seen her before. An empty, selfish little creature, who had always to be amused like a child. ...A girl who posed as a sophisticate before her country cousins but who was really more provincial than they were, knowing nothing of real life or real love or real emotion of any kind. Gay wondered, as she looked, how she could ever have hated this girl—ever been jealous of her. She was not worth hating. Gay spoke at last. She stood up and looked levelly at Nan. There was contempt in her quiet voice."I suppose you came here to hurt me, Nan. You haven't—you can never hurt me again. You've lost the power. I think I even feel a little sorry for you. You've always been a taker, Nan. All through your life you've taken whatever you wanted. But you've never been a giver—you couldn't be because you've nothing to give. Neither love nor truth nor understanding nor kindness nor loyalty. Just taking all the time and giving nothing—oh, it has made you very poor. So poor that nobody need envy you.”