People look for their own protection

Everyone tries to find safety, although safety means different things to different people. Throughout the book, people are changing things in their lives to create some kind of security, whether it's physical, financial, or psychological. Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, it creates more problems.

Jackie tries to protect her son – and herself – from the street. That means protecting them from Skeet. Obviously, if she really wanted to stay away from him, she wouldn't have got involved with him at all. However, as she is starting a family, she realizes that certain things about Skeet's lifestyle are not welcome in a family home. As good as he is about keeping Rob's nose in his schoolwork, and spending time with his son, Jackie never accepts Skeet's attempts to marry or even move in together. She needs to keep separate from him. Her son has her last...