“You know how to be a good boy?" Anna widened her eyes in surprise. "Why, Archer, I'm certain I never recognized that quality in you.”

“I don't know if i can," I said, looking up into Archer's eyes. "Honestly, Archer....I'm tired of being scared, tired of loving you on one hand and hating you on the other.”

“Okay, you know, is it weird to get so depressed watching a children’s Christmas special— Oh, wait, I shouldn’t say that. I mean, that’s not a good word. It’s not just “sadness,” the way one feels sad at a film or a funeral. It’s more of a plummeting quality. Or the way, you know, the way that light gets in winter just before dusk, or the way she is with me. All right, at the height of lovemaking, you know, the very height, when she’s starting to climax, and she’s really responding to you now, you know, her eyes widening in that way that’s both, you know, surprise and recognition, which not a woman alive could fake or feign if you really look intently at her, really see her. And I don’t know, this moment has this piercing sadness to it, of the loss of her in her eyes. And as her eyes, you know, widen to their widest point and as she begins to climax and arch her back, they close. You know, shut, the eyes do. And I can tell that she’s closed her eyes to shut me out. You know, I become like an intruder. And behind those closed lids, you know, her eyes are now rolled all the way around and staring intently inward into some void where l, who sent them, can’t follow.”

“Why?" I demanded of her. "Why bring the child into this? Why not just come straight to me?""Does it matter at this point?"I shrugged. "Not really. I'm curious."She stared at me for a moment and then she smiled. "You don't know."I eyed her warily. "Don't know what?""Dear boy," she said. "This was never about you."I scowled. "I don't understand.""Obviously," Arianna said, and gave me a stunning smile. "Die confused.”

“He felt goaded by her impenetrability, by what clawed at him from within. He started to growl. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Are you growling at me?”

“Lewis: "Oh, no."Kaitlyn: "Lewis?"Lewis: "Hi, Kaitlyn. Hi. Rob."Rob: "G'way, Lewis. I'm sleeping."Kaitlyn: "Hi. Anna."Anna: "Hi, Kait."Lewis: "Hi, Anna."Gabriel: "And good night, John-Boy! Shut the hell up, all of you!”