“Yes, after all, this by now was his customary loneliness: there was little else he desired for the present than the hospitality of the dark.”

“What sticks with me now is that this man said he needed to get to a hospital. He probably needed to reach his destination more than anyone else on the bus, yet he lacked the capacity to ride without getting kicked off. Maybe he reached the hospital eventually, and maybe he was connected with social workers and housing specialists who will help him transform his life. But I fear he got on another bus, and another bus after that, without going anywhere at all.”

“It wasn‟t even desire. It was far more than that.It was love.Love. With a capital L and swirly script and hearts and flowers and whatever else the angels—and yes, all those annoying little cupids—wished to use for embellishment.”

“..he understood far more deeply than anyone else the loneliness that lurked beneath his jaunty mask.”

“Everybody has to feel superior to somebody," she said. "But it's customary to present a little proof before you take the privilege.”

“Sylvia's dark eyes widened. "You are more than you appear to be""Yes. I am a monster of Darkness, a beast," he agreed with her. Her lips tilted up. "Can a beast weep in sorrow? Does darkness have the capacity to feel loneliness? I think not.”