It was Rowan who had coined the term "lettuce-kid" to describe them. Both of them were born sandwiched somewhere in the middle of large families, and where far from being their parents’ favorites. "I got a couple of brothers that are the meat, a few sisters that are cheese and tomatoes, is I guess I’m the lettuce

Goddard clapped his hands together, truly tickled. "I have so missed these conversations with you!""You mean the ones where you gloat, and I'm tied up?""You see? The way you get to the heart of the matter is always so refreshing. So entertaining. I'd keep you as a house pet, if I didn't fear you'd somehow escape and burn me to a crisp in my sleep.""I would, and I would," Rowan told him."I have no doubt.

Death makes the whole world kin. Rowan wondered if a world without death would then make everyone stranger.

shouldn't the punishment for failure be the awful knowledge of that failure?

…found the use of actual old-school books off putting, but over time, he'd learned there was something very satisfying to the turning of pages, and the emotional catharsis of slamming a book shut

She didn’t answer him. He didn’t expect her to. It was just a seed he wanted to plan.

To live between the prospect of an unknown eternal sky and a dark, enveloping Earth must have been glorious— for how else could it give rise to such magnificent expression?

who cared about the lettuce when the beef was being devoured?

There was no lane line, no net, nothin to keep them apart but the well of her will. But that kept losing bricks