“Because,' Quince says, leaning forward until I step back, 'he's a little boy who doesn't like other people playing with his toys.”

“Whatever exists is inevitably flawed. Buddha, in his detachment from the world, finds all its hustle and bustle ridiculous because he has nothing to do with it. A cynic finds the feelings of his fellow human beings ridiculous because he has no feelings himself. Someone who does not play soccer thinks it ridiculous to chase around after a little leather ball for hours at a time. He doesn't bother to ask whether this game might be a lot of fun. All he sees is the ridiculousness of grown men playing like little boys. People who do anything will no doubt appear ridiculous to people who do nothing. A person who acts can always make a fool of himself. A person who doesn't never runs that risk. We might even say that life is always ridiculous but death is never ridiculous.”

“You're watching me, princess." His soft lips spread into an appreciative smile. "People might get the wrong idea.""What, that I actually like you now?" I tease.He shakes his head and leans toward me. "No, that you're trying to see past me to get an eyeful of Benson."-------------------------------------------I shift my gaze to the board and fix an innocent look on my face. "What makes you think that's the WRONG idea?"Quince leans even closer and says, "Because you came back for me.”

“Never say never,” he said urgently, rolling back on top of her and using all of his unusually heavy mass to press her deep into the cocoon of her little girl bed. “The gods love to toy with people who use absolutes.”

“Where did you meet?” he pressed on.I shrugged and considered a little rephrasing. “I was out for a run.”“From who?”I leaned back to take a long, very long, slow sip of that beer.Knox leaned forward. “I think we’re both bullsh*tting here, you ever play that card game?”“With my grandma, every Sunday after church.”

“I was like a little boy showing off my toys, desperate to win approval.”