“And now, all these years later, it seemed to him that the most horrible fact of human existence was that broken hearts mended.”

“When it came to the dark fuckery of the human heart, there seemed to be no limit.”

“Later on in life, you might wish that the good things which all befall in your one special year had spread themselves out a little more.”

“Doors slipped shut with a faint locking click that was only heard clearly in the dreams of later years.”

“I still believe in the resilience of the human heart and the essential validity of love;I still believe that connections between people can be made and that the spirits which inhabit us sometimes touch. I still believe that the cost of these connections is horribly, outrageously high... and I still believe that the value received far outweighs the price which must be paid. (From introductory notes.)”

“Later, going home, I realized they didn't look alike at all; what made them seem to was the aftermath of stress and the lingering of sorrow. It's strange how pain marks our faces, and makes us look like family.”

“But in high school the business of irrevocable choices began. Doors slipped shut with a faint locking click that was only heared clearly in the dreams of later years.”