Erin's Response to Chapters 21-35

1. Do you think Tim is the one sending the money?

I can't think of anyone else that it could be, so I've just always assumed it was Tim. I don't know if Tim was the one that gave her the $5,000, but I can't think of anyone else that it would be either. It seems out of character for Tim to care enough to send money now that we've found out about so many of his lies. Why send money? But I do think it's him.

2. So far, there's been a lot of discussion on CeeCee/Eve and her choices. What choice(s) would you make differently from her?

Where do I start? I wouldn't have helped Tim, I would have taken Genevieve to a hospital, I would have turned the baby over to the authorities, and I'm just not sure about the way she's raising Cory. CeeCee/Eve is obviously a loving mother to Cory, but she smothers her and I feel like we're heading toward a place where we see Cory continue to struggle through her whole life.

3. What do you like about Jack? Are there things about him that you don't like?

Jack seems to love Eve unconditionally. I like his sense of humor and his ability to have a good time and want to be a little less serious. But he is very serious about his family. He has a lot of passion and still manages to be light-hearted. I think he's a good match for Eve and does everything he can to get her to lighten up.

4. What are the differences between CeeCee/Eve's relationship with Tim and Eve's relationship with Jack?

Tim controlled CeeCee like a little puppet even though she didn't know it. She was willing to do anything for him-- including cleaning his house after one of their first dates. The relationship between Eve and Jack is one of equality and it's a partnership. They seem to work together well and they make each other happy rather than one of them always trying to please the other.

5. Do you think Eve is to blame for Cory's fears? What could she do, specifically, to help Cory feel like less of an outsider?

It's clear that she is smothering her. Now that we know that Cory has only spent 2 or 3 nights away from home in her entire life, we know that Eve keeps her close. Eve is afraid that something will happen to Cory, so Cory just feeds off of that fear. In their own family, Eve needs to treat Cory and Dru the same way so Cory doesn't feel like she is fussed over and babied. I believe that Eve loves both of her daughters equally, but I imagine that the daughters don't see it that way.

6. Do you think Eve appropriately answered Cory's questions about her father? Do you think Cory will question her father more as she grows older?

I think Eve did her best and the answers were about as good as they were going to get without telling the truth. And at this point, the lie is so big that there doesn't seem to be a way to come clean. I think that Cory will have more questions about her father as she gets older because the physical differences are so strong between Cory and Dru. And I think Cory just feels different and like she doesn't belong. She's going to be eager to search for something to make her feel normal, and finding her father may be a huge part of that.