And it's right then that I realize that when people say you can't miss something you've never known … Well, that simply isn't true.”
-- Delsie (chapter 3)

Importance: Delsie's best friend has asked her about being an orphan and now Delsie has seen a mother seal return for her baby, and the two events have prompted Delsie to really begin thinking about her mother.

Grammy's always saying that when people throw rocks, you can either build walls or bridges. Grammy has always been a bridge builder.”
-- Delsie (chapter 5)

Importance: Bridget has just decided that she needs to bake a pie for Henry because Esme is out of town, and she has invited Olive to help. Olive refuses, but Delsie knows that Bridget will later issue another invitation. This adage is one of many seen in the novel, and it shows that Bridget is anxious to “build a bridge” between herself and Olive, though Olive typically responds by seeming...