“The room was plainly but adequately furnished; she noted the shower stall in the bathroom beyond. Actually, she would have preferred a tub, but this would do. ”

“Clair smiled, “I don’t sing, and besides, shower singing is meant only for the person taking the shower.”Alex walked into the bathroom and stood beside the tub. “So does that mean if I were to join you, you’d sing to me?”“Maybe,” she grinned.”

“The box room. No bigger than a coffin. It would be like being buried. Maybe she wouldn't keep her Barbies after all. She would make a huge bonfire in the back garden. She would burn her clothes. She would burn all her old toys (except for her old teddy bear Rasputin, obviously—he was more of a guru and personal trainer than a toy). She would burn her CDs and her CD player. She would burn all her makeup. She would shave all her hair off and burn that. She would wear only a pair of Oriental black pajamas. She would sleep in the box room on a small mat made out of rushes. The only item in the room would be a plain white saucer for her tears. Then they'd be sorry.”

“When he asked my grandmother if she would mind being poor, she said she would be happy just to have her daughter and himself: 'If you have love, even plain water is sweet.”

“I have not let myself be stultified by science, whose highest goal is to furnish a `waiting room', which it would be best to tear down.”

“And when he winked at her, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt thatfrom that moment on, she would do anything for him.”