Guilty of taking advantage of time, Claire is a woman who wears many hats in this story. She is a sister, a mother, a friend, a seamstress, a secretary, a drug addict (recovering), a lover, and a fighter. Claire is a woman who is unaware of her own beauty and strength. She has lived a difficult life, but mostly as a result of her own stubbornness. She knows she is reckless and at times this scares her. She is scatter-brained, but talented. Unable to grasp her reality, Claire surrenders to her mind and abandons her daughter (Evelyn) in search of stability, truth, and perfection. She has no concept of time and is forced to deal with reality once she realizes her baby is about to graduate. There are many challenges that Claire has to face in this novel. One is accepting and coping with the fact that she abandoned not just her daughter, but her family (Rochelle, Uncle J)...and a man that she loves (Alan) for reasons that are only clear to herself. Just as in anyone's life she deals with heartache, losses, and gains. The question for Claire that follows her throughout this journey becomes: Why am I alone? What she eventually realizes is...she is anything BUT alone.