How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
But what I focus on as I head down toward sleep is what Mom says when she tucks me in. Because she says what I want to believe.
"Now, don't worry, Bobby. You get a good night's rest. I just know that everything's going to be fine." (18.151-152)
Even with everything that's going on, Bobby's mom still knows how to say the right mom things. She's not going to tell him that he's doomed to a life of invisibility forever; she's going to say that everything will turn out just fine. That's what moms are there for.
Quote #8
The look on Mrs. Van Dorn's face makes me feel sorry for her. She seems so sad and alone. She's wearing the same look I keep seeing on Mom's face. I'll walk quietly into the den or the kitchen, and Mom will be in the middle of something, but stopped, not paying attention to the computer or the book she's reading, and she'll have the same kind of sad, distant look in her eyes. (20.9)
Even though Mrs. Van Dorn is putting a kink in Bobby's plans, he can't help but feel badly for her because he recognizes what she's going through. She and his mom are both suffering a lot because they can't reverse their kids' situations.
Quote #9
"…And you haven't heard from her since?"
"Only once. She called, asked if we could send her two thousand dollars […] So I did it. Probably stupid, but if you have kids, you know why I had to do it. That's about two years ago. Since then, nothing—'cept a note last Christmas. And it's not like it was even a card or something nice for her mother. Just one of those computer messages." (22.30)
When Bobby talks to Sheila's dad, he realizes how lucky he is that his parents know about his invisibility. After all, he wouldn't want to put them through the kind of pain and confusion Sheila's parents are experiencing.