Janie is caught between adolescence and adulthood. She wants to have a relationship with Reeve, but she cannot give him the type of attention and affection that he craves simply because she is haunted by her own thoughts of the girl on the milk carton. Janie tries to maintain her friendships, but it is difficult for her to talk about dating and boys when she is thinking about how to confront her parents and what might happen if she does. Her ultimate fear is losing her family. For Janie, it is not worth the risk of losing her parents for another family that she barely remembers.