“Guariglia went to his children, who were playing by the brazier. "Look at them," he said. "I know they may not be as beautiful to you as they are to me...""They are," Alessandro interrupted. "No," Guariglia insisted, "they're not beautiful in that way, but to me, Alessandro, they are all that is good and holy. I didn't know God until I saw them. It's funny, as soon as you lose faith, you have children, and life reawakens.”

“When your parents die, Alessandro, you feel that you have betrayed them.""Why?" Luciana asked. "Because you come to love your children more. I lost my mother and father to images in photographs and handwriting on letters, and as I abandoned them for you, the saddest thing was that they made no protest."Even now that I'm going back to them, I regret above all that I must leave you.""You're not going back to anybody," Alessandro told him. "We'll solve those problems later.""Alessandro," his father said, almost cheerfully. "You don't understand. This kind of problem is very special: it has no solution.”

“Will not the Senorita trust me?"Ramona smiled faintly through her tears. "Yes," she said. "I will trust you. You are Alessandro, are you not?""Yes, Senorita," he answered, greatly surprised, "I am Alessandro.”

“Don't call me Alessandro, or this could get ugly.Oh, then may I call you Alice?”

“You’re going to castrate them if they give me a sideways glance?”He looked at the ground. “I’m not bringing you to the safest place and you’re beautiful, so I needed to warn them.”“I’m beautiful?” I repeated trying not to smile.“Don’t let it go to your head, darling.” He said holding his hand out for me.“You’re not too bad yourself.” “I know. I saw the way you stared at me when I took my shirt off.” Hunter said.”

“Well," I said finally, knowing he was waiting, "you make me laugh."He nodded. "And?""You're pretty good-looking.""Pretty good-looking? I called you beautiful.""You want to be beautiful?" I asked him."Are you saying I'm not?”