How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
In the shower, I note that I'm reshaping. Again. I thought this was supposed to be over by now. It's not like I can ask Dad about it. (1.20.16)
Without her mom, Vera has to go through all her feminine body changes by herself, since it's awkward to talk to her dad about it. That's yet another bonding opportunity that her mom misses out on by leaving.
Quote #5
The fact is, being twenty-three makes James even more attractive to me. If you think about it, it's only five years. When I'm thirty-five, he'll be forty. When I'm eighty, he'll be eighty-five. Doesn't seem like such a bad thing when I put it that way, does it? (2.4.12)
Vera thinks she's so grown-up and wise to the ways of the world, and that she's mature enough to date a twenty-three-year-old. But she's still just a teenager no matter how she spins it, and she's still got a lot to learn.
Quote #6
Suddenly, I realized what might be going on. I felt so stupid for not realizing it sooner. My heart broke. (2.5.50)
When you grow up, you're not as shielded from the ugly realities of life anymore, which Vera learns when she realizes that Charlie's dad is abusing him. It's like the world gets a little darker right before her eyes.