Therese matures a bit on her road trip—either that or she just looks tired—as evidenced by the fact that a few people comment on Therese looking "grown up" when she returns. Exactly how does she grow up?

We see Carol's family one last time as more of a burden than a source of love and affection. Her divorce and loss of custody seem more like she's freed from a ball and chain than an experience of painful loss.