Years ago when he had been at college, Edward had shown him how to change sheets from under a sleeping man. Harper had spent a few weeks after that stealing the sheets from under his fellow seminary students.

For your pleasure I’m creating a collection of erotic drawings so poorly rendered that I feel certain they will completely shake your belief in my understanding of human anatomy.

Then he realized that Jath’ibaye returned his gaze. Jath’ibaye stood there, still and silent, looking through the darkness directly at him.

The wisdom of age defeats the strength of youth.

His life was his again. It was like inheriting a burning house.

Javier glanced back to Elezar. “What you asked earlier, about it being worth all the trouble?” “Yes?” Elezar felt his pulse pick up. “It’s worth it. I can’t even tell you how relieving it is when you realize that you don’t have to lie to yourself or anyone else. You can hold your head high and be exactly who you are.

I know,” Kahlil said. “You’re probably the only man who would compare me to a fungus and mean it as a compliment.

He couldn’t undo the past, nor could he know how he had already altered the future. But that didn’t matter. What he really cared about was captured in the warmth of their interlaced fingers. What mattered was the life the two of them made together now.

It was a lazy community of mutual disinterest and alcohol.

I’m so glad to be grouped with the men you’ve seen in rotten shape. My hope is that someday I will reach the pinnacle of that appalling list.