Everyone has a story; everyone hides his past as a means of self-preservation. Some just do it better, and more thoroughly, than others.

I tell you this as a cautionary tale: beware of getting what you want. It's bound to disappoint you.

You know, Michael, I used to sit around looking for a way to make sense of what happened, like there was some kind of answer I could find if I just looked hard enough. Then one day I realized that if there had been one, Dave would still be here. And I wondered if this...this feeling that I couldn't figure it all out...was what Dave had been feeling, too.

How do you know that you are not part of a book? That someone's not reading your story right now?

I've always been able to see you," I say. "It's a rather lovely view.

A world that was crowded with people could still be a very lonely place.

No, honestly, my mouth shouldn't be able to function unless my brain's engaged.