"It seemed to Alice that everyone these days was out for themselves." She observed that the close-knit family life she and Daniel experienced was becoming rare. The large, lively families of her childhood, which included many siblings and the sacrifices they entailed, no longer seemed to exist in the same way. Alice reflected on how those noisy, chaotic family environments once felt overwhelming but now appeared to offer a sense of belonging and importance."

"Her mother had had eight children, including two who died young, and Daniel's mother had had ten." Despite her initial discontent with the chaos, Alice now realized that such large families fostered a deeper connection and shared purpose. She recognized that being part of a big family gave life a unique meaning, something her current world seemed to lack."