How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Dad doesn't want me to see the burying part, but I make him walk to the cemetery with me, and he holds my hand for the first time since I was twelve. (1.1.4)
Dads can be a pain, especially when you're a typical eye-rolling teenager, but that doesn't mean that they aren't useful to have around at times. At Charlie's burial, Vera reaches out to her dad emotionally for the first time in a long while, and he helps her to get through the difficult occasion.
Quote #2
I see what my mother saw in him. He's handsome, smart, and fit, which is a miracle in this part of the world, where everyone is spilling over their edges. His only flaw seems to be linked to being cheap, which really isn't that bad of a thing. (1.20.43)
Okay, so her mom obviously wasn't into her dad anymore. But Vera has to wonder: Is her dad really all that bad? Even though he annoys her, Vera thinks he's a pretty good catch.
Quote #3
I spend most of my time watching my parents. You'd think I'd get as far away from them as I could now that I'm free, but seems like I'm here to learn something. Not sure what. I never liked either of them. He's just a bully, and she's a doormat. (2.9.7)
After he's dead, Charlie can see the dysfunction in his family even more clearly. Neither his mother or his father did what they had to in order to protect him and keep their family home a safe space. It's pretty grim.
Quote #4
"Okay, I'm done," I say. "I really don't give a s*** what you think. And thanks for the fifty bucks on my birthday every year. I'm sure it will make a huge dent in my college tuition. You're the best mom ever." I hang up, roughly. (2.12.65)
It's pretty rich for Vera's mom to call her for the first time in years to lecture her about going out with an older dude and getting drunk. It's not like Vera's mom has made the best or most responsible decisions, even as an adult.
Quote #5
When I walked in the door, up the steps, and into my room without a grunt, Dad noticed. He said up the steps, "Why don't you come down and we'll order pizza from that new delivery place and pig out?" (3.9.84)
Ken Dietz may be on Vera to get a job and work hard all the time, but that doesn't mean that he's not emotionally in-tune with his daughter. When Vera comes home after that disappointing Valentine's date with Charlie, he tries to make her feel better right away.
Quote #6
The minute she said this, I felt sad for her. I mean, I thought my dad was a dick, but I don't think he ever made my mom shine shoes. (3.10.35)
Jenny Flick may seem like a delinquent with no redeeming values (after all, she burns down a pet shop out of spite), but there's a reason for that, too. Like Charlie, she's haunted and damaged by her horrible family life.
Quote #7
When we leave the office, part of me feels like holding Dad's hand and acting like I'm ten again. Like going back in time and remembering the warm love we used to have will help us. But then I remember I hate him now. (4.1.36)
Therapy really does bring Vera closer to her dad. Even though they're both pretty upset with each other, she feels more emotionally connected to him than she did before. And that's a good start.
Quote #8
"We're getting married. Her parents are fine with it."
She stared at me the way she had a million times before—like I was nothing but a regret. (5.3.21-22)
Ken Dietz's mom always sees him as a huge disappointment, even after he turns his life around. She doesn't want to be his mother, just in the same way that Sindy doesn't want to be Vera's mother.
Quote #9
I know what he wants to say—stuff about being proud of me and how much I've grown up. It probably sounds stupid, but I want to tell him that, too. (5.13.56)
After all that, "I hate my dad" inner dialogue that we get from Vera, she finally comes to see that her dad isn't such a bad guy after all. He's come a long way, and she's proud of him for always being a responsible, loving dad.
Quote #10
It's been a long day. I look at the ocean and take a deep breath. I feel like an adult—his equal, and his friend. I feel like we're in this together, and I'm glad for that. I can't think of another person I'd want on my team. He's a good man. (5.14.17)
At the end of the day, Vera and her dad are a team—and that's okay. It's better than okay, in fact. They've got each other's backs no matter what, and she can always rely on him to have her best interests in mind.