In the novella, familial love is a source of immense joy and pain, the most precious gift afforded to humans during their lives. Evans shows that families do not need to be biological to experience fulfillment and love, as illustrated by how Richard, Keri, and Jenna become Mary’s found family. The four choose to have a single Christmas tree together rather than two in the separate wings of the house. This symbolizes the group’s identification as each other’s family.

It is clear that the singular Christmas tree and what it represents brings immense joy to Mary; she feels that she has been gifted the love of another family in the final months of her life: “She was absolutely delighted when Keri suggested that we might all enjoy sharing the same tree together” (56). Richard and Keri realize that, rather than needing help with housework and cooking as her ad suggested, Mary was actually motivated by her longing for company: Mary “had solicited a family to move in with her more for the sake of ‘family’ than real physical need” (55).

Mary’s status as an honorary family member is confirmed by Jenna’s acceptance of her as a “surrogate grandmother.