Mary South

“The Keiths are Keiths because they are not particularly handsome, not particularly intelligent, not particularly kind. A Keith would never train to compete in professional sports or practice an instrument until he became a maestro. Neither would a Keith jump in front of a loaded gun, but he would help you gather the contents of your grocery bag if you spilled it on the sidewalk. On a city bus, your gaze would pass pleasantly over a Keith as though over a stretch of ocean.”
― Mary South, You Will Never Be Forgotten: Stories

“I cradle Keith with a mole against my chest to turn him over, then I massage his butt. "You're special," I whisper in his ear, at a moment when I'm pretty sure no one is looking.

"You're a special Keith.”
― Mary South, You Will Never Be Forgotten: Stories