If Wolfe were real, he’d be the elusive figure at the heart of the story.”
-- Narrator (April 5, 2019, Morning)

Importance: In the first subsection of the novel where the narrator introduces Robbie, she begins with the above line. In this way, the author establishes Robbie’s reliance upon his imaginary character, Wolfe, for a sense of self-definition. Wolfe grants Robbie an outlet and an escape. Curating Wolfe’s life is a way for Robbie to write his own story.

Robbie wanted desperately to be loved . . .
-- Narrator (April 5, 2019, Morning)

Importance: In the narrative present, Robbie is single. His past relationships with men including Zach, Adam, and Oliver have not lasted. Robbie longs to find someone to love and be loved by. His craving for love, he realizes in this moment, has dictated his familial relationships. Through Isabel and Dan, for example, Robbie reinvents what love means.

The living room in which Isabel and Dan still live remains suspended in...
-- Narrator (April 5, 2019, Morning)