How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
Every time I spoke to Hannah about the connection between her and my mother she'd just ask, "Do you feel safe?" I'd shrug because I didn't feel threatened and she'd say, "Then for the time being, that has to be enough." (16.70)
Maybe Hannah planned someday to tell Taylor the truth about her family. On the other hand, maybe she knew that Taylor would eventually reach a point where she'd go looking for answers. Either way, she has the sense to not give Taylor more than she can handle when it comes to information about the past.
Quote #5
I watch Raffy's mother standing behind her chair, holding on to Raffy's long hair as if putting it in a ponytail and there's this pride on her face while touching her, like she's saying, "Look at my beautiful girl." It makes my eyes fill with tears […] It's not that I miss my mother. It's just that I miss the idea of what one would be. (16.137)
The fact that there aren't a whole lot of kids at the Jellicoe School with families who have remained intact just makes the presence of families like Raffaela's even more potent for Taylor. What's interesting is that the relationship between Raffy and her mom makes Taylor long not for Tate, but the experience of being a teenager and having a mom.
Quote #6
It's during those moments that I notice how similar we are. Both Jessa and I have spent almost half our lives brought up by people other than our parents and neither of us have siblings. She has no recollection of her mother, who died of cancer when Jessa was two years old, and I have too much recollection of mine. (17.78)
Once you get to the end of the book, the similarities between Jessa and Taylor all make sense and kind of make you go duh. After all, they're both the product of the tragic situation of the original Jellicoe Road five. Even though she doesn't say it here, we wonder if Taylor senses a connection to Jessa in the same way she knows she and Hannah are connected.