My mom's been saying we need to redecorate for years, and I think she might've done it, too, but now these days she mostly sits and stares, hand on her chin -- until she snaps out of it and looks up with this smile.
-- King James (Chapter 1)

Importance: King's observation about his mother shows that there is a clear difference between how she once was and how she is now, with a strong implication that the change was caused by Khalid's death. Since his mother is the kind of person who would have redecorated had she been able, her current refusal to do it or her indifference to it shows that her mind is preoccupied and that she is not really present in her surroundings owing to the all-encompassing nature of her grief.

My dad used to tell me all the time that boys don't cry, but sitting there that day, his face was...
-- King James (Chapter 1)