She wasn’t sure if he wanted more from her or if he wanted less. Maybe it was both. Maybe it was always both.

Love didn't necessarily look the way you expected it to.

Besides being asked why I write about young characters, I am often asked how I write about young characters. How do I throw myself across the chasm of full adulthood to relive that period? I guess I don’t, really. Age is not so much a feature of your character, as the spot where you stand for a pretty fleeting time on the arc of your life.

Age is not so much a feature of your character, as the spot where you stand for a pretty fleeting time on the arc of your life.

A lot of friendship is about practice, that’s something I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older. It’s not simply some spiritual soul-bond of memories and longings, it’s really about having coffee every week, or talking on the phone every day or every other day - whatever suits you.

She thought she was independent and strong, but she got one small taste of love and she was hungrier than anyone. She was ravenous.

Alice suspected Paul couldn’t really picture his father, just like she couldn’t picture Paul when he was away. Maybe that was the case with people you wanted more than was good for you.