Counting by 7s

The number seven is one of Willow's self-described “obsessions,” and one of the ways she keeps “order in [her] universe” (11). It is unique in that it is a natural, prime number, and any amount of passing time she specifically remembers as some form of seven (“Seventeen minutes after our arrival,” “for 37 straight minutes,” “147 months and 7 days later”). The number is personally significant to Willow because after her mother tried to get pregnant for seven years, Roberta and Jimmy adopted Willow on July 7th (the seventh day of the seventh month). 

Her habit of counting by multiples of seven serves as a marker for her stages of grief. Prior to her parents' deaths, she would count by multiples as an escape mechanism. She is unable to use this trick to calm herself down when she receives news of her parents’ death, and she later decides that in this “new world,” she will no longer count. It is only after her court hearing (which occurs on the seventh of the month) where Pattie and Jairo file for custody of Willow, that she’s ready to count again. Her system has changed, just as she has. She realizes she has seven people in the world she cares about unconditionally, so in times of stress, she will start counting to seven. 

Red is both Willow and Pattie's favorite color. Willow loves it because it is important in the natural world; her red hat is the only colorful part of her gardening outfit. Pattie believes that the color red brings luck; she wishes that all of her salon patrons would choose red polishes. Ironically, the lucky color is a part of Willow’s parents' tragic death—they die because a truck driver speeds through a red traffic light. After the accident, though, the color appears in moments of growth and good fortune. Removing the red lava rocks outside of Dell's apartment is the first step of the garden transformation, which marks Willow's healing. She buys red lady bugs while at the nursery, which is when Henry agrees to help her with her garden project. Unbeknownst to Willow, he would give her an entire truckload of plants. Attending Willow's hearing, Dell wears a red tie, and Pattie wears red slippers, which ultimately concludes with Pattie and Jairo adopting Willow.

The Vietnamese language is what first connects Willow to Mai at the beginning of the narrative. Eager to form a connection and have something in common with Mai, Willow starts teaching herself Vietnamese so that she can converse with Mai in their “secret” language. It is upon seeing the book of Vietnamese customs on Willow's bed that Mai understands Willow's dedication to their friendship and decides that Willow should stay with them. The moments in which Vietnamese appears suggest intimacy and attachment. The language allows the manicurists to talk at length about their families at work, and outside of the salon, speaking Vietnamese insulates Willow and her new family, the Nguyens, from others. Learning this language is one way that Willow establishes herself as a member of the Nguyen family.