“One day I learned the truth. These memories were from the day I was taken from my mother. I would never see her again.” 

For decades, Steve is unsure of whether his memories of his last day with his mother are a dream. He describes himself as being haunted by the images, and surprised by their vividness, despite his uncertainty about their reality. Later he learns that the most pivotal day of his life as a child was the day that he lost his mother.

“After seeing my physical condition, the department shut down the Andrade home, removing the other boy chosen over me, and forbidding them from taking any more children.” 

Even before the horrors of the Robinson house, Steve foreshadows the harsh, often indifferent realities of the foster care system. The Andrades don’t beat Steve, but they neglect him to the point that they are deemed unsuitable candidates to care for children in need.

“I was too busy enjoying my cookie to figure out what their looks meant. Climbing into Patti’s car, holding my precious cargo, I felt certain of something: This was the place. I had found a home.”

Betty and Willie treat Steve kindly when they meet him. That is all it takes for Steve to identify them and their house as a potential home. Their duplicitous initial meeting provides a stark contrast to the cruelty they will exert over Steve later, making his confusion and suffering more acute when he realizes that they deceived him.