“I flung open the door. I got a momentary flash of about a hundred and fifteen cats of all sizes and colours scrapping in the middle of the room, and then they all shot past me with a rush and out of the front door; and all that was left of the mobscene was the head of a whacking big fish, lying on the carpet and staring up at me in a rather austere sort of way, as if it wanted a written explanation and apology.”

“I was just about to open the door, when it opened up right in front of me. And there stood my parents. Is there a word for that moment when two parties are so equally shocked to see each other given the circumstances that all they can do is stare at each other, openmouthed?”

“Apologizing to me again, thought Miles miserably. For me. He keeps telling me I'm all right—and then apologizing. Inconsistent, Father.He shuffled back and forth across the room again, and his pain burst into speech. He flung his words against the deaf door, "I'll make you take back that apology! I am all right, damn it! I'll make you see it. I'll stuff you so full of pride in me there'll be no room left for your precious guilt! I swear by my word as Vorkosigan. I swear it, Father," his voice fell to a whisper, "Grandfather. Somehow, I don't know how . . .”

“I left the door open so you could come in—and I could go out. That’s what being in love is all about.”

“You left the door open.““Fritz is bringing me some smokes.”“You’re not lighting up around my dog”(…)V looked over at the dog. George’s big boxy head was down on his paws, his kind brown eyes seeming to apologize for the shutdown on the whole light-up routine.Vishous stroked the bag of Turkish delicious like a pathetic loser. “Mind if I just rolled up a couple?”“One flick on the flint and I’ll pound you into the carpet.”

“Are you sure about that, Mrs. Maddox?”“Are you ever going to stop calling me that? You’ve said it a hundred times since we left the chapel.”He shook his head as he held the cab door open for me. “I’ll quit calling you that when it sinks in that this is real.”“Oh, it’s real all right,” I said, sliding to the middle of the seat to make room. “I have wedding night memories to prove it.He leaned against me, running his nose up the sensitive skin of my neck until he reached my ear. “We sure do.”