Who is Honest Lil from Islands in the Stream and what is their importance?

Honest Lil is an aging prostitute in Havana. She can turn on huge tears at will and uses her talent to good advantage. Honest Lil wants to hear good stories from Thomas, stories that involve love. She may have had sex with nearly all the men in Havana, but what she wants is to make love, and not through her profession. She wants Thomas to tell her that love exists, which may be an impossibility for someone who does not understand what love means.