For us, then, life is a confidence trick we must run on ourselves, hoping we do not catch on to any monkey business that would leave us stripped of our defense mechanisms and standing stark naked before the silent, staring void. To end this self-deception, to free our species of the paradoxical imperative to be and not to be conscious, our backs breaking by degrees upon a wheel of lies, we must cease reproducing. Nothing less will do.

Loving my son, building my son, touching my son, playing with my son, being with my son_ these aren__ tasks that only super dads can perform. These are tasks that every dad should perform. Always. Without fail.

Because I fuckin' love you Mia...That didn't come out exactly as I'd planned, but it is the truth. I'm in love with you...

All I know is, being away from you......makes it hard to breathe. I miss you so much

I__ not a lot of trouble,_ she said.His gaze slid to her mouth. __ou sure about that?___ompletely._ And then she flashed him an indeed trouble-filled smile.And that__ when he knew. He was the one in trouble. Deep trouble.

Dempseys are never in trouble. We just have stretches of life that are more interesting than others.