" He met Ray’s eyes. He knew it was hard to believe but Sergi did believe it. Believe in him. He knew how strong Ray was, and if he’d ever doubted it, his resilience in the face of the shitty cards he’d been dealt would have been more than enough. He didn’t know how to say it so Ray would believe him, though.
"I spent a lot of time fighting with you,” he said in the end. “I figure I know what you're made of by now."
He couldn’t tell if Ray believed him, but sometimes all you could do was offer your faith. Again and again, a prayer and an offering, and hope someone was listening. "

― N.J. Lysk , Simpler than Most (Stars of the Pack #1.1)