Grace reached over and began stroking her fingers through my hair. I closed my eyes and let her drive me crazy.

Face flushed, I shook my head and stared at my white-knuckled grip on the bed. Of all my pet peeves, condescending adults were probably at the top of the list.

There was something awful about terror trapped behind silence. About latent emotions that couldn't be acted out." "Cole's thoughts on page 248 of Linger.

You’re my change of skin / my summer-winter-fall / I spring to follow you / this loss is beautiful.

Hope hurt more than the cold.

Reality's what other people dream for you.

Then I began to play. Variations on a G major chord, the most wonderful chord known to mankind, infinitely happy. I could live inside a G major chord, with Grace, if she was willing. Everything uncomplicated and good about me could be summed up by that chord.