Isolation
Gerard seems to be living in a state of perpetual, self-imposed isolation. He doesn't do it intentionally, but his emotional dissociation leaves him alone except when he actively combats it. The snow from the blizzard emphasizes this; the world is blank and alien, a distant spectacle for Gerard to observe and not participate in. His connection with Laurel and his conversation with Lucy are the only interruptions to the white blanket of introspection and remembrance that pushes his focus inward.
Love
Love, or in some instances the lack thereof, is a major focus of the story. Gerard is an emotionally distant man; it is noted that of all the women he has slept with, "most knew he would never love them, so they kept a distance, sparing themselves the grief of an ancient pain." He has only loved one woman in his life: Laurel. She represents the actualization of Gerard's feelings, an opportunity to live a somewhat normal life. The other relationship of note, that of Gerard and Issy, comes to light as being remarkably devoid of love, or really any feeling that extended beyond the physical. This loveless relationship ended that of Gerard with Laurel, as well as ending poorly with Issy's abandonment.
Lucy is Gerard's anchor to emotion; she is the only one he has loved for the past eight years. Without her, he might have lost his capacity to love. His experiences with Lucy, however, allow him to reconnect with Laurel at the end.
Retrospection
Gerard spends a significant amount of his time lost in reflection and introspection, especially in his memories. These flashbacks don't seem to have much of a connection to anything of importance; they're merely the products of his mind's wanderings. The fits of retrospection occur even during conversation; when Gerard talks to Laurel for the first time in eight years, he gets caught up in remembering his past with Issy, the subject of conversation. His tendency to withdraw into himself and remember the past rather than engage in the moment might be a reason he finds himself emotionally detached and without many friends.
