I Am Such A Pacific Northwest Girl.

He Is A Man, And He Is Afraid. This Is Not A Good Combination.

...this Fear Was Unbearable. It Unwrapped Who She Was, As Neatly As He'd Unwound Her Bandage, Leaving Too Much Pain And Ugliness Exposed. Nerve Endings; He'd Said They Were The Problem [causing Phantom Pain In The Amputated Limb]." Things That Cut Off, That Ended Abruptly Or Died--like Parents And Marriages--kept Hurting Forever.

Sometimes Holding On Was All You Could Do.

That Was The Thing About Best Friends. Like Sisters And Mothers, They Could Piss You Off And Make You Cry And Break Your Heart, But In The End, When The Chips Were Down, They Were There, Making You Laugh Even In Your Darkest Hours.

You Look Great," He Said. It Made Her Smile, Even If It Was A Lie. "i'm As Big As A House." He Laughed. "i Like Houses. In Fact, I'm Thinking About Architecture As A Career.