“When I was much younger and lived in Claybourne’s residence, Luke’sgrandfather arranged an afternoon tea in the garden with a few of thegirls my age. They arrived in coaches and carriages and they were sobeautiful. Their laughter was soft and sweet, so very different from theharsh laugher in the rookeries. I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, I’m going tobe like them.’“They hurt me that day without touching me. They taught me thatwords can slice like a knife. They wanted to know about life in therookeries, and I made the mistake of telling them that I slept with Lukeand Jack and Jim. And sometimes at night, I still slept with Luke. Theymade it into something ugly. It was really rather innocent. To lie in thecircle of someone’s arms while you sleep can be very, very nice. But Inever slept with them again. Never told them why. Those girls took thatfrom me. And I let them.”

“MOTHER:Why, just lying there, Jim, you run so fast. I never saw anyone move so much, just sleeping. Promise me, Jim. Wherever you go and come back, bring lots of kids. Let them run wild. Let me spoil them, some day.JIM:I'm never going to own anything that can hurt me.”

“I do know it, my own. Let me tell ye in your sleep how much I love you. For there's no so much I can be saying to ye while ye wake, but the same poor words, again and again. While ye sleep in my arms, I can say things to ye that would be daft and silly waking, and your dreams will know the truth of them. Go back to sleep, mo duinne.”

“I thought the two ugly ones were sisters, but they got very insulted when I asked them. You could tell neither one of them wanted to look like the other one, and you couldn't blame them, but it was very amusing anyway.”

“You want to know what I’m afraid of? I’m afraid of every morning when I wake up that this will be the day when I can no longer move for myself. I know it’s coming. It’s just a matter of time until I have no choice, except to have someone else clothe me, feed me. Change my diaper. And I can’t stand it. (Adron)Then why don’t you kill yourself? Why are you still here? (Livia)Because every time I think of doing that, I can hear my family praying over me while I was in the hospital. I hear my mother weeping, my father begging me not to die on them. I could never intentionally hurt them that way. It would devastate them both, and while I’m a pathetic asshole, I’m not that selfish. (Adron)”

“I really like the last quote.It still amazes me that two people can accidentally meet and have such a natural connection. You're like a piece of me that I didn't know was missing. When you say sweet things to me, I believe them. When I see you looking at me I trust you, when you tell me that you want me then I am purposely , vulnerable and exposed and available for a good ravaging. Good night hotpants .”