Knowing where she was in the world, even if he never touched her, gave him a deep satisfaction, and he half despised himself for being satisfied with so little.

It's always nervewracking to put yourself out there. But it's the root of joy.

The phone was her worst enemy and her best friend but she never knew which until she answered it.

Everything I ever said to you was true and is true.

You know what the secret is? It's so simple. We love one another. We're nice to one another. Do you know how rare that is? - Carmen

All the things she planned to feel, the way she planned to look and seem, the appropriate things she planned to say. None of them came to pass.

Particularly beautiful people were like particularly funny-looking people, though. Once you know them you mostly forgot about it.