I'm Told There's No Going Back. So

She Told Me If I Clean All The Ashes Out Of The Grate, Then I’ll Be Able To Help My Sisters Get Ready For The Bal.” “it’s Christmas, Dashiel. Can’t You Give That Atitude A Rest?” “merry Christmas, Dad. And Thanks For The Presents.” “what Presents?” “i’m Sorry—those Were All From Mom, Weren’t They?

I Thought About The Bigger Picture Of My Life, And About The People—and Particularly The Guys—i Would Encounter During My Lifetime. How Would I Ever Know When That Moment Was Right, When Expectation Met Anticipation And Formed … Connection?

It's Bullshit To Think Of Friendship And Romance As Being Different. They're Not. They're Just Variations Of The Same Love. Variations Of The Same Desire To Be Close.

Because I Withered Under The Glare Of An Actual Invitation, I Was A Firm Believer In Preventive Prevarication--in Other Words, Lying Early In Order To Free Myself Later On.

I've Always Been Sort Of A Closet Sci-fi Geek.