Books are for those without real lives, he thought. And they are no real replacement.

I'm so afraid of losing something I love that I refuse to love anything

Abraham responds "Here I am" when God asks him to sacrifice his son, and he answers "Here I am" when his son asks him about what is happening. It's a paradoxical moment. He can't be fully present for his God or his son.

I will describe my eyes and then begin the story. My eyes are blue and resplendent. Now I will begin the story.

We looked at each other until it felt like everything would burst into flames

I ran rather than walked, anxious to lose my way. All I wanted was to be unsure.

[…] but I believe that things are extremely complicated, and her looking over me was as complicated as anything could ever be. But it was also incredibly simple.