Nancy's father and mother are divorced. Her father lives in Phoenix where he is constantly busy with his business. For much of the book, Nancy's father is simply not a concern of Nancy's but when she becomes ill, her family thinks that the Arizona climate might be better for her health. She spends time there, on and off, until she goes into hospice care in Idaho. Nancy's father is also a constant source of kindness and support, despite having to work as hard as he does.