“Sticking—that’s what we call it. The lucky kids stick to their foster families. I seem to be covered in nail polish remover or something. I’ve been with five—count ‘em, five—families in five years since Grammy died.”

Nicki, before becoming Charlotte, explains what it feels like to be rejected by one foster family after another. She entered the system at the age of eight. This is a critical point in a child’s psychological development. The various disorders that Nicki exhibits become understandable in light of her unstable history.

“All this, I’m thinking, has made you strong, and we’re looking for a strong girl, one with your kind of grit, smarts, and skills. We’re looking for a girl who has dealt with all that stuff and come through still spitting fire and throwing jabs.”

Eddie makes this comment after reviewing Nicki’s file, before she becomes Charlotte. The trauma of her early life is less important than her reaction to all the misfortune that has befallen her. She remains defiant and resilient in the face of these challenges. Perhaps this is the silver lining of a troubled childhood. In the end, these very qualities will earn Nicki a place in the Trevor home.

“Grammy always told me that no matter what I stole, my hands were the real treasure. I guess I must have taken that to heart. My therapist tells me it’s part of my ‘issues.’ Yep. A little anxiety to go along with my uncontrollable urge to swipe things. Another gift I should probably thank my dad for.”

Nicki, not yet Charlotte, explains her phobia about keeping her hands free at all times. She can’t bear a handshake or a pair of gloves. In one sense, the hands of a master thief must always remain unencumbered. In another, this fear of entrapment parallels her father’s fears about being incarcerated. Either way, Nicki is following a dubious family tradition.