" Mike, have you ever heard that marriage is like a deck of playing cards?” Badde said. “Rappe . . . ?” Jan said, her tone warning. “No, can’t say that I have heard that,” Santos said. Badde grinned. “Yeah,” he said, “in the beginning of a marriage you just need two hearts and a diamond . . .” “Ha,” Santos said. “. . . But in the end you want a club and a spade. "

― W.E.B. Griffin , Deadly Assets (Badge of Honor, #12)