In the final section of the book, Jeannette depicts her family and suggests that they will always remain somewhere between “turbulence and order,” which adds to the theme of stability versus instability. However, there is still instability between her family and herself. Brian is unable to completely forgive his parents for their choices. When he sees the Thanksgiving food, and thinks about his own adulthood, he suggests that it is not that hard to get food on the table, exposing his lingering resentment over his parents’ choices. Turbulence also is apparent in Maureen’s absence from the dinner. Of all the children, Maureen seems to be the one most damaged by her parents’ choices, even though as a child she found others to take care of her. It is unclear what her life is like in California, but her long absence from the family suggests she has learned something about independence. At the end of the story, the family was able to find peace with Rex. Therefore, everyone is able, on some level, to celebrate his absence and free-spirited ways while letting go of the alcoholism that plagued him and eventually killed him.