Ashley returns to the room and takes a seat beside the narrator, expressing curiosity about what she has missed. The narrator realizes they had overlooked Ashley's presence entirely, suggesting a sense of neglect or disconnection in their relationship.
This moment highlights the narrator's complex feelings towards their family, particularly their father, indicating a desire for a more profound emotional absence or detachment. The author, Katie McGarry, effectively captures the tension in familial relationships that can lead to feelings of isolation.