You're surrounded by it wherever you go, you walk through it, breathe it...it's in your lungs and under your tongue and between your fingers and toes.

It would only lead to disappointment, even heartbreak, and her heart was too precious for me to let that happen.

What happened to your stammer?" "I suppose I must feel comfortable with you. I tend to stammer less with certain people." "No one's ever told me that I'm a comfortable sort. I'm sure I don't like it. I'll have to do something diabolical soon to correct your impression.

I've never wanted to be loved. And God Knows no one's done it yet.

It was a good hald minute before I looked over at Todd. his eyes were slightly foggy, like he was waking up- reluctantly- from a lascivious dream. "I didn't know they still made them like that," he said.... "Cool, tough, retro-manly. The kind who only cries if someone just ran over their dog. The big chested guy we can indulge our pathetic Daddy complexes with.

Where's your instruction manual?" I asked him. "What's the baby customer-service number?

I had never felt the allure of another human being this strongly, warmth and curiosity mixing to form an unspoken question in the air.