The Namesake

One of my favorite passages from The Namesake. It's a little bittersweet -- does the phrasing "he believes he has known" foreshadow the fact that he doesn't know her? -- but I think it captures those moments, when you first begin to seriously start dating, and get to know one another's little peccadilloes.

"Within three months they have clothes and toothbrushes at each other's apartments. He sees her for entire weekends without make-up, sees her with grey shadows under her eyes as she types papers at her desk... He sees the hair that grows on her legs between waxings, the black roots that emerge between appointments at the salon, and in these moments, these glimpses, he believes he has known no greater intimacy."

For Diego (and his Mom!)

With the birth of Akash, in his sudden, perfect presence, Ruma felt awe for the first time in her life. He still had the power to stagger her at times -- simply the fact that he was breathing, that all his organs were in their proper places, that blood flowed quietly and effectively through his small, sturdy limbs. He was her flesh and blood, her mother had told her in the hospital the day Akash was born. Only the words her mother used were more literal, enriching the tired phrase with meaning: "He is made from your meat and bone." It had caused Ruma to acknowledge the supernatural in everyday life.