Summary

In Chapter 33, “More Than What We Got,” Mom explains why she is attached to her phone. When she was younger, she relied on landlines, “libraries and internet cafés” (181). However, when Maisie’s dad was deployed, she became reliant on her cell. She constantly took pictures and sent messages to him to keep in touch. She wanted to include him in Maisie’s life, too.

Then one night, he “never responded” to her text (183). Shortly thereafter, she learned he had been killed in combat. Mom describes the day “the army officers knocked at [her] front door” (183). Maisie is surprised by this story. Mom goes on, talking about her grief and the trauma created by the war. However, Mom eventually learned she could not live in sadness and fear. She got a therapist who helped her change her outlook. Mom was texting this therapist...