Kristin

“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

“If something happened to me, I have no idea what would happen to that cellar. Maybe - maybe - one of my cousins would know that they were worth something? But I could also see someone donating them to some church. Here, they'd say, carting in box after box of wine. Guess you should be all set on communion juice for a while.”
― Nickolas Butler, A Forty Year Kiss

“TOP FIVE THINGS I WANT FOR MY LIFE
1. I want to quit drinking.
2. I want to move to a big city. Minneapolis or Saint Paul. But maybe Milwaukee or Duluth or even Chicago.
3. I want to earn my MBA.
4. I want a job with benefits. I want two weeks of vacation, every year. I want to get my eyes checked and my teeth cleaned.
5. I want to see a glacier before they're all gone.”
― Nickolas Butler, A Forty Year Kiss

“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