The novel tracks Willa’s slow and winding path to self-fulfillment as she begins to listen to her own desires instead of those of her husbands, family, and children. Willa’s choices show that self-fulfillment comes from pursuing happiness on one’s own terms.

Willa spends much of her life putting her desires and pursuits on hold for the benefit of others. As a child, Willa puts aside her needs to care for Elaine after their mother has left indefinitely. When Willa is summoned to the nurse’s office to sit with Elaine and comfort her, she “could hear when orchestra practice started. Darn. She loved orchestra” (22). In this instance, Willa misses out on her favorite part of the school day to be with Elaine, who never thanks Willa for the sacrifice. Later, 21-year-old Willa continues to shelf her own needs for others. When her boyfriend Derek proposes, he adds, “I can’t imagine just going off and leaving you behind when I start my job […] I need to have you with me” (44). This complicates things for Willa, who still has a year left in college to finish her degree. However, Willa chooses to marry Derek anyway, knowing this means giving up completing her degree, which is completely “sidelined by her first pregnancy” (92).