Then his mom was hugging him goodbye at the apartment door, where Reuben told her he loved her, which was true--and that she had no reason to worry about him, which was not.
-- Narrator (Walking Backward Into the Sky)

Importance: This statement by the narrator provides insight to the relationship between Reuben and his mother and provides a bit of anticipation for the reader. Reuben and his mother are close and express their love to one another, but Reuben keeps secrets from his mom. This statement is a foreshadowing that Reuben will encounter trouble throughout the course of the novel and hints that Reuben's mother has good reason to worry about her son.

He took a last look at the hole in the wall, wondering how long the watch had been in there. It had been put there by someone like him, someone who found places that were secret to others. It could only have been found...
-- Narrator (Walking Backward Into the Sky)