“I can forgive a man’s past faults, his present shortcomings, and his future failures if every minute of every day he loves me like it’s his religion.”

“He is sorry-For everything-For Prentisstown-For Viola-For Ben-For every failure and every wrong-For letting his pa down-And he's looking up at me-And he's begging me-He's begging me-Like I'm the only one who can forgive him-Like it's only me who's got the power-Todd?-Please-And all I can say is "Davy-"And the fright and the terror in his Noise is too much-It's too much-And then it stops.Davy slumps, eyes still open, eyes still staring back at me, eyes still asking (I swear) for me to forgive him.And he lies there, still.Davy Prentiss is dead.”

“The past was gone and the future had yet to unfold, and he knew he should focus his life on the present…yet his day-to-day existence suddenly struck him as endless and unbearable.”

“Make sure to tell our baby that his father loves him every day of his life, just like I will always love you every single day.”

“I’mnot punishing you baby. I’m just struggling with this. He loves you Layla. It’s in his eyes when he looks at you. Every time I turn around he’s gazing atyou and I can see it. I should know. It’s exactly how I feel every minute of every day. He wants you and I’m terrified that one day you’re going tochoose him. I couldn’t take it Layla. I’m close to breaking point as it is with that fucker pushing every button I have. He needs to get it into his thickhead that you’re mine and I won’t let you go without a fight.”

“He imagined his past gone, along with his future. Death was the understanding of the immediate present: that there is finally nothing else.”