“Bill was clearly becoming essential to Mum, and Bo was used to being ‘all I need to get by,’ as Mum would sing when they baked together.”

Bo recognizes that Bill and Lola are getting serious. She is not used to Lola needing anyone besides herself to make her happy, and some of Bo’s apprehensions about Bill becoming her stepfather stem from having to share Lola with other people. This is an important lesson that Bo eventually learns after she and Lola join the Dwyer-Saunders family: That it is possible for an individual to establish multiple deep, meaningful relationships, without any of them taking away from another.

“Mrs. Dougie did have a point about holding on to stories, even the ones you made up for yourself, like that you were perfectly happy being by yourself most of the time. Bo understood the power of the past. You could get a lot of comfort from the things you knew; better than worrying about the future, like middle school.”

Bo reflects on how she feels comfortable with the familiar. This passage sheds light on Bo’s character: She is someone who feels comfortable with the known and expected. However, part of this comes from her desire to save herself from heartache, rather than from an inherent aloofness. Bo does want to be a part of a larger group but tells herself that she is happy by herself, as that is all she has known.

“Bo had had to take a kitchen-safety course at Uptown Community Center—and she’d aced it, of course. Not one spill, and she’d been named the youngest winner of the Most Careful Cook Award.”

Bo reflects on how she is so well-versed in kitchen safety, that she has even won an award for it. This passage indicates more of Bo’s character traits: She is responsible and mature enough to handle herself in potentially dangerous situations with care.