1.   Absently, she stroked his hair.

2.   He began stroking her hair and gently murmuring her name.

3.   He kissed her gently and stroked her hair.

4.   Late one night I stirred from a deep sleep to find Dad sitting beside my bed, gently stroking my hair.

5.   She held me tenderly and stroked my hair, and said nothing until I was calm again.

6.   She stroked his hair tenuously, as if afraid of being told not to.

7.   That night her father sat on the edge of her bed and stroked her hair, as if she were still a little girl.

8.   Then, his aunt, her long cool fingers tracing his features, stroking his hair.

9.   Aziz started to stroke his hair.

10.   She stroked my hair then, very gently, the way she used to do when I was a little kid.