Laura was given a powerful message that day, one she’d never forgotten: a declaration of love and affection that depended on her being strong and not complaining.
-- Narrator (Laura paragraph N/A)

Importance: Gildiner notes that Laura based her belief that she had to be strong, not cry, and not complain to be loved on her experience with her father after she cut her foot. After Laura injured herself, her father told a nurse that he was proud of Laura because she never complained and was strong.

Bonding is not a choice; it’s a biological imperative, necessary for survival. Love is a choice.
-- Gildiner (Laura paragraph N/A)

Importance: Gildiner tells Laura that she thinks she has confused bonding with love. While Laura was bonded to her father because he was her parent, it did not mean that she had to love him. Therefore it was possible she felt bonded to the boyfriends who were like her father, but she...