"Our father doesn't go to church with us but we're all downstairs in the hall at the same time, bumbling, getting ready to go."
This quote reflects that the father does no due diligence on his part, and the mother is the caretaker of the family. He is always slacking, never having concern for anyone's time of well being. This quote also shows that the children are used to no parental support, constantly taking actions themselves without parental guidance.
"A lady used to sneak out and meet her lover in the garden behind the grape trellis. Or she'd hide in the garden somewhere and he'd look for her and find her."
This is the foreshadowing of Rosie's affair with Kittridge. Rosie soon cannot handle Gus and his verbal abuse, and the toll it takes on her leads her to another man, who is also cheating. This quote in the book predicts that she has already thought about cheating or is contemplating it.
"What do you think he'll do?""Where will he think we've gone?"
This is an attempt at getting the father to show some type of love for the children. This quote gives insight into the desperation the children have to gain some sort of paternal affection, but it is so lacking in their lives that they do not even know how to gain it. Even the mother seeks some kind of acknowledgement but is never successful.
