Having watched her mom die of cancer, Corinna's afraid she'll come down with it. too. She's having those mysterious stomachaches, after all, and her body's certainly not cooperating on the boobs-and-period front, so surely something must be wrong with her.
But her fear of her own mortality in If Only pales in comparison to her fear of her dad's. He's not doing much to reassure her that he's going to stay alive—he's driving kind of recklessly, eating badly, and generally neglecting his health. Life seems fraught with danger now, and poor Corinna's always waiting for something terrible to befall her one remaining parent.
Questions About Fear
- Will Corinna ever be able to relax about the possibility of losing her dad?
- Why aren't Corinna and her dad in therapy? Do you think therapy could help reduce Corinna's fear?
- What could the remaining members of Corinna's family do to help her feel more secure?
Chew on This
Corinna's friends feel uncomfortable around her because she reminds them of their own parents' mortality.
Places that contain memories of her mother—the grocery store, the craft store—heighten Corinna's fear by reminding her of the magnitude of her loss.