In this story, some might believe that Bloom exemplifies alternative lifestyles to satisfy human needs more fully than a traditional family. Like for example, when Ellen walks into her parents bedroom at the cabin only to find her mother sandwiched between two men. "I pushed open the creaky door and saw my mother spooned up against my father's back, as she always was, and Mr. DeCuervo spooned up against her, his arm over the covers, his other hand resting on the top of her head-(15). In this case, because Ellen was at such a young age she sees her mother as having some sort of relationship, but is confused about what is really going on. Later she explains to Lizzie that although she was aware of an odd relationship going on with the contenders, she did not know, what she would soon learn afterward. "I didn't know how to tell her about the three of them; that was even less normal than her having an affair with Mr. Decuervo with Daddy's permission-(19). In some cases, we might think that the author Bloom might be implementing on the idea of a liberal hippie love in the characters of her parents.
As the story continues, we learn about how Ellen knows about her mother's affair, but does not belittle her mother as she talks about her as if she was an angel on earth. For example, Ellen recalls her days at the cabin in Maine, and rejoices at the memory of how her mother looked one year. "But that summer the suit fit beautifully, and when she jumped off the porch into my father's arms, he whirled her around and let her black hair whip his face while he smiled and smiled-(4). This helps the readers understand that although she found her mother's relationship not very ordinary, she still loved her mother with a passion. It may be her mother's strong influence helped her later on with an internal struggle. The struggle about whether or not Ellen should marry her fiancé. Before the death of Ellen's mother, Lila, she made it very clear that she did not believe her daughter should marry John Wescott.
