“We were perfectly happy before he and Heather came along.”

Michael expresses his and Molly’s feelings of resentment about Dave and Heather, setting the foundation for the novel’s exploration of the challenges involved in becoming a united family.

“You never said anything about it. You never said we were going to have a bunch of dead people buried in our backyard.”

Molly’s overreaction to the presence of a graveyard reveals not only her fear of death but also her feeling that Mom betrayed her by keeping this information from her. Molly’s broader frustration with her mother’s remarriage exacerbates this sense of betrayal.

“If we give her enough love, she’ll change […] I know she will.”

Mom recognizes Heather’s recalcitrant attitude but hopes that time and attention will help her fit in. Mom’s reiteration that she “knows” Heather will change has an air of desperation, as if by saying it she can make it so. Mom’s faith in the power of love also reflects her belief that parents love their children unconditionally.