Berg connects an unlikely trio of individuals to highlight the myriad ways that families and connections are created and nurtured. The importance of companionship is woven throughout the novel and underscores how much richer and fuller the lives of Arthur, Maddy, and Lucille become when they choose to be together despite societal models.

Berg illustrates that chosen family can be best defined by what it isn’t: it does not need to fit into traditional norms about what it means to be a family, it does not have to be fully understood by broader society, it does not have to contain a biological or romantic attachment, and it subverts convention. Maddy, Arthur, and Lucille are bound together by the things that they have in common and their compassion for one another, not the features that make them look dissimilar on the surface; age, gender, and stage in life matter less than the other bonds they share. For example, Lucille and Arthur are closer in age and stage of life, but Arthur is most similar to Maddy in terms of perspective and disposition. Lucille and Maddy are both women, but Maddy would prefer to have Arthur attend her Lamaze classes, even if others would find it odd.