He'd only been gone two seconds, but the room got brighter when they were together, as if they were two elements that became brilliant in proximity. At Sam's clumsy efforts to carry the vacuum, Grace smiled a new smile that I thought only he ever got, and he shot her a withering look full of the sort of subtext you could only get from a lot of conversations whispered after dark.It made me think of Isabel, back at her house. We didn't have what Sam and Grace had. We weren't even close to having it. I didn't think what we had could get to this, even if you gave it a thousand years.

Summary

This quote describes the strong connection and intense chemistry between two people, Sam and Grace. When they are together, their presence brightens the room, suggesting a unique and radiant bond. The narrator notices how Grace's demeanor and Sam's response to her efforts with the vacuum indicate a special understanding between the two. This juxtaposes with the narrator’s own relationship, highlighting its lack of depth compared to Sam and Grace's connection. Despite the narrator's doubt, they believe that their own relationship could never reach the level that Sam and Grace share, no matter how much time passes.

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