1.1 Quotations from Readings

With a content smile, she shuts the book. Another good journey she had undertaken. This author hasn't let her down yet. She sits there with her smile and lets the story settles in her mind. 

A gentle caress runs down her neck and a deep voice asks, "Did you enjoy your book, ma cherie?" His voice was touched with a drizzle of French. His mother had been brought over to America by his father.

She sighed, "It was good."

She could hear the smile from his words, "Good." He then kissed her head and rubbed her arms softly. His hands slowly trailed down to her hands. She took a deep breath and a small moan escaped her lips. This caused a small chuckle from his cupid lips. Slowly, she stood from her reading chair and lead him to the bedroom. He willingly followed. They slowly undressed each other and took their pleasures from each other. After what seemed an eternity, they cried out their release. He rolled to the side and fell asleep. However, he kept one arm draped over her side. She smiled and looked at her left hand and at the sparkling diamond. She still couldn't believe they were engaged. They had been together for so long and she never thought it would happen.

Slowly, she crawled out of bed and made her way to her reading chair. The book she just read still was sitting on the arm piece. Quietly, she sat down and opened her book and flipped through all the quotes she highlighted, because she liked them and it meant something to her. She then flipped to the last page and she read the last quote from her readings over and over. 

"And they lived happily, ever after."

1.1.2 Overheard Conversation R.D.

"What did you think of our school?  Best thing you ever saw, huh?"
"Yeah, it was nice."
I don't mean to be petty but:  dad and daughter, indulging in frozen yogurt, talking about the small tings in life; it breaks my heart.
It's not the same as being the third wheel to a couple who can't keep their hands off of each other, but it is just as distracting.  This is the first time I've ever been really, truly envious of someone's relationship with their dad.  Not because I can't do those things with my dad anymore, but because I couldn't be bothered to try when he was around.
We spend our adolescence hating or being annoyed by our parents instead of taking any time out of our days to appreciate them and whatever it is they do for us - even the annoying things.  Like the day my dad drove to the school the day of a dance and called me because he was convinced he left his cigarettes in my car and needed me to come and unlock it.  Instead of laughing at my dad's quirkiness and being flattered by his concern, I was annoyed by his inability to trust me.
Maybe if I had asked dad to spend some time with me outside of the shop he would have felt more appreciated and maybe things could have gone differently.  Thank God mom pushed us to do the dancing thing, even if it didn't last very long because I got bored and lazy and denied the sparkle in his eyes when he was dressed and smelled of cologne and was ready to go.  I denied so much, and took so much for granted, which I guess is always true.
This girl is gonna regret one day that she talked more than listened to her dad on their "daddy/daughter" dates, and she'll never realize just how much these little things mean until she doesn't have them anymore.  That's how things are when it comes to life and death, even when someone can envy what you have, it is still never enough once you know you can't have it anymore.
I miss you dad.