"You're the love of my life, and the bane of my existence.' Sera stopped midstride and wrinkled her brow.'What's bane?' Jack opened his mouth. Mary Jane cut him off. 'It's a piece of candy,' she said. 'Yeah,” said Jack, “a little sour and tough to swallow."

"When you focus on someone's disability you'll overlook their abilities, beauty and uniqueness. Once you learn to accept and love them for who they are, you subconsciously learn to love yourself unconditionally."

"The supposedly intelligent are often too quick to judgewhen really all that's needed is loveand understandingbut try not to judge them in return because they will often judge themselves even more harshlywhich is so sad in a world that's already so full of pain that hugsand forgiveness should be called forevery single day."

"You're trying not to tell him you love him, and you're trying to choke down the feeling, and you're trembling, but he reaches over and he touches you, like a prayer for which no words exist, and you feel your heart taking root in your body, like you've discovered something you don't even have a name for."

"You view love and especially women...As something hostile, something against which you defend yourself, although in vain, something whose power over you, however, you feel as a sweet torment, a prickling cruelty: this is truly a modern attitude."

"She just keeps kissing my scars. Every scar. She knows about them all. She watched them all appear and heal. Sophie's lips against me make every punch, every kick, every wound, every scar worth it."