Two longish quotes from Empire Falls by Richard Russo:

Then she said something that surprised him. "You do know that I've had lovers, don't you, Miles?"

"I'm glad, Cindy," he said, feeling himself redden with embarrassment, because, no, he hadn't suspected this.

"I wanted you to know, because I'm leaving tomorrow. The truth is, I don't do very well at home. I never have. There's a man in Augusta who cares for me, and I like him well enough. It's not a wonderful life, but I can see clearly there, and it's important for me to see things clearly. I want you to know about this man, because you always imagine me unhappy, and that hurts my feelings. It's like you decided a long time ago that someone like me is incapable of joy..."

"Wondrous! he thought, how the heart leaps when one is chosen, especially later in life, after one would suppose the time for choosing and being chosen has passed. To be recognized as lovely, as desirable--to feel lovely and desirable--surely that was precisely what Grace Roby had needed."

Marvelous characters inhabit this book. Thank you, Kathryn!