“Create a fog within a fog”

“Sighing, she looked out at the fog. It was like life, preventing her from seeing what was beyond reach. She wasn’t unhappy. She simply felt that something important was missing from her life”

“Within the shadows of honor, courage often walks in silence.-Engraved on the monument Clay built”

“Shame, when she was younger, had stopped her. Fear, as she grew older, trapped the truth within her.”

“Fascinating. He’d never known a woman who didn’t take upresidence in front of a looking glass. “Why have you an aversion togazing in the mirror?”“Because within a mirror I can’t avoid looking into my own eyes. Thelife I’ve lived is reflected in my eyes and there are parts of it that I wishto forget.”“Yet, it has made you the fascinating woman you are.”

“Were you really not frightened?""Sometimes I was terrified, but that was the whole point.""You wanted to be afraid?" She couldn't imagine deliberately putting herself in a position of fear.“I wanted to test my courage, my determination. It was a journey ofdiscovery, but it was more about what I discovered within myself. What Idiscovered about the world was simply a bonus.”“And what did you discover—about yourself, I mean?”“That I’m not nearly as weak as I thought, nor nearly as strong as I’dhoped.”

“He cradled her face between his hands, angled his mouth over hers, and welcomed the bliss she offered. Boldly, she gave her tongue the freedom to roam within his mouth. She sighed. He moaned.He thought a man could become spoiled touching a woman. He might never want to touch stone again. Stone wasn't warm. It didn't alter its shape with the gentlest of pressures. Stone didn't breathe so he could feel its moisture on his face. Rocks didn't make soft sounds that he'd carry with him until the day he died.”