“I realized that’s what I was afraid was going to happen on the nineteenth. My divorce would be final, my rage would finally burn out, and I’d be left with what was left of me.

And that wasn’t much.”

Briana reflects on how the finalization of her divorce will affect her. She is concerned that it will leave her with an overwhelming sadness once her anger dissipates. This passage not only reveals Briana’s deepest fear but also shows how traumatizing the divorce has been. Briana’s divorce has changed her view of the world in a way that signifies potential conflict in her future.

“I felt unmoored, like I was being tossed around on some choppy sea and all the captains of the passing boats were sneering at me instead of throwing me a lifeline.”

In this quote Jacob explains what it feels like to have an anxiety disorder, which is an important part of his character. It also introduces the theme of Anxiety Within Relationships, as this moment explores how Jacob felt when Amy forced him into a social situation he was uncomfortable with.

“There was no reason for this to be happening to Benny. It wasn’t God’s plan, and it wasn’t going to make him stronger. And you know what? Maybe it could be worse. But who cares? That was the most unhelpful comment of all. Benny had every right to hate what was happening to him. He had every right to grieve the life and body he’d lost and to be angry about it, no matter how many countless other scenarios sucked slightly more than this one.”

Briana reacts with anger when Jacob suggests Benny could live for years on dialysis because it’s not fair that Benny has lost the freedom to be a normal 27-year-old man. This is before Briana knows about Jacob’s anxiety or the fact that his own mother had renal failure and a kidney transplant. This reaction, however, underscores the love Briana has for her brother and shows how his situation has created stress in her life as well. This conversation with Briana will inspire Jacob to volunteer to be tested as a match for Benny.