When the father tells the boy that the mother is pregnant, there is a flashback to when her appendix burst. While this happened prior to the start of the story, it continues to disturb the boy, as he anxiously watches over his parents. His fear of their illness or even death makes him vigilant for any potential signals that something is wrong. This explains his anxiety at the start of the story when he begs the parents to explain their odd behavior. The flashback haunts him until he meets the girl.

In contrast, the final, empowering image in the story is also a flashback, as the boy remembers a time when he walked with the girl. He has no idea where they were going, but in this memory he is not worried about the future nor the past. He is in the moment, basking in the fact that the girl thinks of him, if only briefly. It is enough for the boy to feel as if someone released him from obsessing over the fears of the past and the what-ifs of the future.