Status Updates From The Dogs of Venice

"He would never need anyone again, unless they were open to needing him, too. The world was full of wonders to experience and he, alone, was enough to discover them."

"'Time only moves forward.'"

"At least, in any given place, he knew someone. Himself."

"uncontrollable giggles that emanated deep from within, the kind of laugh that was cleansing."

"There was music and wonder in life to be had, and yes, sometimes it was nice to experience it with another, but it didn't come from being with someone else. The world could be appreciated alone, even when it felt scary."

"Rubes for your angelic faces."

"Sometimes even when people are themselves, you should still be afraid."

"'Venice is...very soft, romantic...but look close. She is a hard way of life. Balance is difficult to find."

"He was amazed at how different food tasted when it was the sole focus, absent the distraction of conversation."

"It worked because the dog never begged, never showed much in the way of interest (or gratitude), and didn't stick around for more than he was offered. It was like he was happy to connect, but he didn't expect connection."

"He loved learning things, so he listened; an enduring interest in the world made him feel slightly less like a loner."

"It was how he felt about society as a whole, always on the outside of it and never quite part of the group, one of the reasons why he'd always valued his marriage; he found comfort in partnership, even when that union was, apparently, a sham."

"these mornings were a start and gave him something to build on, and he was forgiving himself."

"It was so comfortable in its own skin and possessed such command...before the dog was a distant memory, Paul thought, that's who I want to be."

"the animal trotted along the narrow walkway on the far side of the water with an enviable nonchalance, it's brindled scruff a perfect match for the cobblestone, a white stripe running down its nose looking extra bright in the morning sun."

"Mama Celeste looked at him with great skepticism, like he might have just drowned his companion in a canal; in the moment, he would consider it."