Realistically, finding random body parts under a mattress or while sorting through laundry would make anyone nervous, but the main character of this story seems oddly relaxed; even at the news of more expensive house repairs, she is actually calmed by the discovery of a human hand in her mattress and a shoulder in her laundry basket. "whereas before she had been agitated, unable to turn her thoughts away, now she is peaceful- (Graver 99). She adores the comfort of having her own child in her own "new" house. .
Regarding the metaphoric connection between the unrealistic child and the house occupied by these mysterious body parts, the answer lies in the consistency of fragments throughout the story. It is as if the house itself has placed child-like body parts in random places to illustrate that it too needs to be reconstructed, just like the child; it needs to be reborn.
Towards the beginning of the story, the woman remembers thinking, "The house looked so charming from the outside, so fine and perfectly itself. The inspector said, Go ahead, buy it. But you never know what's lurking underneath."(Graver 96). The woman never imagined that the house would end up taking on a life of its own, falling apart and then requiring so much reconstruction. All that this woman knew was that it looked nice; she was not concerned with the maintenance it might require or what the house might require of her. When finding the baby body parts, she examines the appearance, noticing the hand has, "Five fine fingers, none missing. She counts them again to be sure." (Graver 96). Both the house and the child look great on the outside, but once she takes a closer look, she notices some major problems. The house is discovered to have, "A charred, unstable attic- (Graver 97). This proves to be a problem that coincides with an existing one discovered regarding the child. The woman has some body parts, but not enough to create a stable being.