He held onto his walnut desk as if he were waiting to be transported to the Vatican at any moment.

His type of humor wasn't the rapid-fire, my-eyes-are-darting-all over the map, spewing-out-quips-at-the-speed-of-light sort of thing. It was a very gentle, laid-back ability to appreciate the ironies of life.

You have to learn how to tell when a girl's leading you on. How have you ever survived this long? Or do I perceive that you don't have a girlfriend at the minute?

We're still looking for the Messiah, so I usually invite myself over to someone's house who's found him.

Abbie was so genuine you could smell it on her like a fragrance.

Even before she could articulate it, she knew that boys were somehow responsible for at least half of making a baby. And her experience had taught that some boys don't stick around to see the project through.

Abbie had survived exam week on nothing but strong coffee and homemade Christmas cookies - the kind that are 97 percent sugar.

The point is that you can't force a person to be merciful, because it's based on grace. But once given, mercy blesses both the one who gives it as well as the one who's fortunate to receive it.