"She looked at me for a moment and then picked up the purple chalk and made a little mark in the upper left-hand corner of the chalkboard.
'Exactly,' I said, putting the chalk back in the dish.
'Do you want to know what it’s for?'
'What’s it for?'
'Each time I think: I love you.'"

—The First Bad Man, page 208

Packaged with excerpt; authenticity verified with Miranda July’s signature.