“I am a drifter, and as lonely as that can be, it is also remarkably freeing. I will never define myself in term[s] of anyone else.”

In the opening chapter, A introduces him/herself to the reader, explaining their odd and often difficult life. A lets us know that when A was younger, s/he allowed herself to form bonds quickly with others, but then s/he was left with bonds breaking just as quickly when s/he was ripped out of their lives, day after day. S/he tells us that s/he is better off being independent and not trying to bond. It’s not because s/he doesn’t want to, but because s/he knows the cost of such attachments. So, instead, s/he tries to focus on the benefits of his/her situation, taking pride in the independent life s/he leads.

“This escape. The water. The waves. Her. It feels like we’ve stepped outside of time.” 

This is A’s response to Rhiannon, when Rhiannon asks what A is thanking her for. A is speaking in fragments, unable to speak with the fullness of sentences, s/he is so overcome with happiness at the wonder of the day. The halting pauses of these fragments have the effect of emphasizing each image:“escape,”“water,”“waves.” These words have “stepped outside” the normal rules of the sentence, just as A feels the two of them have “stepped outside of time.” The phrases also emphasize A’s surprise at how differently the day has veered from his/her expectations.