Kristin

“You know what I think? Charlie asked.
That I should relax?
That you look incredible. I can't believe how lucky I am to be here with you tonight. That after all the years that went by and all the stupid decisions I made, that somehow, this is possible. You're the most beautiful woman in this restaurant.
Come on, she laughed, that's not true.
Yes. It is, he insisted.
You're not even looking. I could easily point to ten women who are most definitely prettier than me. She scanned the room. Okay, five or six anyway.
You're exactly right. I'm not looking. I don't need to look.”
― Nickolas Butler, A Forty Year Kiss

“Before long, Santa and his team landed on their final rooftop of the night. Santa disappeared down the chimney with the last few gifts of Christmas, then reappeared a moment later.
"All right, team," he said. "One last stop!"
"But Santa, your bag is empty!" said Dasher. "How can we deliver more presents?"
Santa smiled. "Some presents don't fit inside my bag," he said.”
― Matt Tavares, Dasher and the Polar Bear

“Everything was expensive. Pork chops for forty dollars. A steak for fifty. The prices confounded her. Where did all this money come from? She glanced around the dining room, and there were couples in their twenties and thirties sprinkled here and there, laughing casually in their chic clothing. Checking their phones. No one was gawking at the menu prices or excusing themselves to go someplace cheaper.
She shook her head, took a long sip of the twelve-dollar glass of wine she had ordered, and laughed softly.
What is it? he asked, leaning back in his chair.
I don't know, Charlie. Sometimes, I just don't understand.
Don't understand what?
I don't understand, well, where all the money comes from. I mean, where are all the jobs paying all this money? And why couldn't I ever find a job like that? What did I do wrong? Did I miss something? Some announcements in high school, you know, pointing me in the direction of a six-figure salary?”
― Nickolas Butler, A Forty Year Kiss

“As a farmer, he collected everything. Anything and everything that came to rest on their farm was a treasure. Or a potential treasure. He housed it all in various outbuildings.”
― Nickolas Butler, A Forty Year Kiss