""look: this dog is my heart," the woman said feelingly, as if there might be some doubt. "when my husband left the last thing he said was, 'you keep Shot for protection,' and i said, 'protection from what?' and he said, 'protection from me.'" she laughed loudly and squeezed the girl's hand as if urging her to laugh, too. "you have to hand it to the sons of bitches--men! they always get the last word.""
— Joyce Carol Oates (Small Avalanches and Other Stories)