“Watching the children, he noticed two things especially. A girl of about five, and her sister, who was no more than three, wanted to drink from the pebbled concrete fountain at the playground’s edge, but it was too high for either of them, so the five-year-old…jumped up and, resting her stomach on the edge and grasping the sides, began to drink. But she was neither strong enough nor oblivious enough of the pain to hand on, and she began to slip off backward. At this, the three-year-old…advanced to her sister and, also grasping the edge of the fountain, placed her forehead against her sister’s behind, straining to hold her in place, eyes closed, body trembling, curls spilling from her cap. Her sister drank for a long time, held in position by an act as fine as Harry had ever seen on the battlefields of Europe.”

“The thing you gotta get is, a sister's any sister at all, she stands by her sisters side or takes her back no matter how she feels about her sisters man or the shit that goes down between her sister and her man.”

“Sister," he murmured, not as an inquiry, but a statement of fact. "Brother mine," she groaned... before her consciousness slipped from her grasp and she drifted away. But she would come back to him. One way or the other, she would not leave her twin ever again.”

“Her fine high forehead sloped gently up to where her hair, bordering it like an armorial shield, burst into lovelocks and waves and curlicues of ash blonde and gold. Her eyes were bright, big, clear, wet and shining, the colour of her cheeks was real, breaking close to the surface from the strong young pump of her heart. Her body hovered delicately on the last edge of childhood -- she was almost eighteen, nearly complete, but the dew was still on her.”

“What about our bet?” she teased. It was clear from the look in hiseyes that the bet was over, but she wanted to hear him say it. Brian let goof her arm and grabbed his wallet on the table. He counted out five onehundred dollar bills and slammed them on the table. Jeni laughed.“Fuck it,” he said, backing her against the wall. He placed hishands on either side of her shoulders, pinning her against the wall. Hischest and hips pressed against her body. “Enough is enough. Last nightwas enough torture to last me a while. I want to fuck you so damned badit hurts.” She saw the desire in his eyes as his breath fanned against hercheek. But he restrained from touching her, and it drove her crazy.”

“She didn't see him at first. She was watching the dancers. Her color was high, and there were deep dimples at the corners of her mouth. She looked nine miles out of place, but he had never loved her more. This was Willa on the edge of a smile.”