The Power of Found Family in Things We Left Behind

Defining the Thematic Claim

In Lucy Score’s Things We Left Behind, found family is not merely a supportive backdrop—it is the engine of healing and transformation. The novel argues that when biological families are absent, damaged, or unable to provide safety, a self‑chosen family built on mutual care, honesty, and shared laughter can offer the unconditional belonging necessary to overcome trauma and build a lasting future. Sloane Walton and Lucian Rollins each arrive at the story carrying the weight of grief, secrets, and fractured parental relationships. Yet the tight‑knit group of friends in Knockemout—Knox and Naomi Morgan, Nash Morgan, Lina Solavita, Stef, Jeremiah, and others—repeatedly steps in to protect and uplift them, standing in for the families they have lost or never had. By the novel’s epilogue, that circle has expanded to include children, grandchildren, and decades‑long traditions, proving that family is defined not by blood but by deliberate, daily acts of love.

Tracing the Theme Across the Plot

1. The Immediate Embrace After Simon’s Death

The first evidence of found family appears in the opening chapters, where Sloane’s father’s funeral becomes an occasion for the community to gather around the Waltons. In Chapter 1, Sloane sits on her porch swing with her mother and sister, sharing dark humor and breakfast wine—a ritual that underscores the biological family’s strength. Yet the real support arrives when her friends intervene. In Chapter 3, Lina, Naomi, Stef, and Jeremiah show up with pizza and margaritas, forcing Sloane to talk about Lucian and her sudden desire for a family. They do not let her grieve alone. Stef drunkenly invites Jeremiah to move in, and the group plans a free legal aid foundation in Simon’s honor. This scene, drawn from the outline, illustrates how the friend group absorbs and redirects grief into constructive plans. They become the “family” that ensures Sloane does not spiral into isolation.

Lucian, too, is drawn into this network against his will. In Chapter 2, after the funeral, Knox and Nash Morgan arrive at his house with beer and bourbon, intending to watch over the Walton women. Though Lucian resists their intrusion, their presence signals that he is not alone either. The Morgan brothers—themselves products of a complicated family history—consistently serve as stand‑in brothers for Lucian, offering companionship and accountability.

2. Shared Crises and Everyday Acts of Care

The found family theme deepens as the plot unfolds through everyday crises and celebrations. When Sloane emerges from grief by creating a dating profile (Chapter 8), her friends support her decision—even though they know her heart belongs to Lucian. Lina’s wedding dress shopping becomes a communal event where Sloane, Naomi, and Stef offer emotional and fashion advice. Lina chooses a black floral dress, rejecting convention but embraced by all. Later, when Sloane investigates the Mary Louise Upshaw case, her sister Maeve provides legal research (“Never too much for family,” Maeve says, from Chapter 12). But it is Lina who accepts a job at Lucian’s company to gain inside access, and Naomi who repeatedly shows up at the library to check on Sloane. These small, consistent acts of presence and help build the scaffolding of a family that does not require shared DNA.

Lucian’s found family is more reluctant but equally vital. His therapist friend Emry Sadik calls him after the funeral, refusing to let him isolate. In Chapter 2, Lucian reads Simon’s final text: “Take care of my girls.” He then texts Naomi to alert her that Sloane is home alone—an act of covert care that depends on the larger network. Even the Morgan brothers’ snowball fight in Chapter 4 becomes a way to force Sloane and Lucian into genuine laughter. The community’s insistence on staying present breaks through the walls both protagonists have built.

3. The Wedding and the Epilogue: A New Family Forged

The climax of the found family arc occurs in the wedding and epilogue chapters. The wedding rehearsal at Whiskey Clipper turns chaotic when Judge Atkins attacks, but the group—Wylie Ogden, Knox, Nash, Lina, and others—fights together to protect Sloane and Lucian. Even the cat, Meow Meow, delays the assailant. This scene literalizes the theme: the entire community risks itself for one of its own. In Chapter 49, the wedding ceremony is joyful and unconventional: Sloane runs into Lucian’s arms, Karen Walton gives her away, Emry officiates, and Shania Twain’s “From This Moment On” plays for their first dance. The front‑porch Christmas tree gains a mysterious angel resembling Simon Walton—a symbol that the departed are still part of the family.

The Bonus Epilogue, set ten years later, shows the ultimate reward of found family. Lucian holds his adopted grandson, Amara; the house is full of children, dogs, and friends. He reflects on the father he never wanted and acknowledges the life Sloane gave him. “All for you. Always,” he vows. This ending proves that the family Lucian never thought he could have was built not by blood but by the deliberate, everyday commitment of a community that refused to let him go.

Character and Symbol Connections

Characters as Family Builders

Sloane Walton: Initially mourning her father’s absence, she channels her need for family into building a legal foundation and, later, a home with Lucian. She becomes the emotional center that draws others in.
Lucian Rollins: Raised in an abusive home, he initially rejects intimacy. Yet he secretly funds a halfway house for trafficking victims (Chapter 7) and takes on Simon’s protective role. His acceptance of the friend group marks his transformation.
Knox and Nash Morgan: The Morgan brothers embody brotherhood. They show up with beer, join snowball fights, and later protect Sloane during the final confrontation. They stand in for the sons Lucian’s father never was.
Lina Solavita: She is the fierce friend who takes a risky job to help Sloane, demands a role in the Hugo investigation, and later whispers the news of her twins at the wedding—expanding the family further.
Naomi Morgan: Her cleaning love language (noted in Chapter 1) and constant check‑ins represent the nurturing, stabilizing force of found family.
Emry Sadik: The therapist friend who refuses to let Lucian spiral, embodying the kind of unconditional support biological families often fail to provide.

Symbols of Found Family

The Cherry Tree: In Chapter 45, the Morgan brothers bury Sloane’s porch in cherry blossoms as a surprise. The cherry tree, first introduced as a family tradition (the porch tree), becomes a recurring symbol of renewal and familial love. In the bonus epilogue, Lucian and Sloane exchange a framed cherry blossom as an anniversary gift—a token of the life they built together.
Shania Twain: The music that played during Lucian’s teenage visits to Sloane’s room (Chapter 11) becomes a soundtrack for their relationship. At the wedding, “From This Moment On” plays for their first dance. The songs represent the secret, safe space they created together, which later expands into a whole community.
The Fence: Although not heavily featured in evidence, the fence between Sloane’s and Lucian’s houses symbolizes the boundary between their isolated pasts. In Chapter 4, Lucian watches Sloane from his window; the fence is breached by snowball fights, visits, and ultimately their marriage. The fence transforms from a barrier to an invisible thread that connects two homes.
The Library: Sloane’s library is not just a workplace; it is a community hub. Characters gather there for research, conversation, and support. The library represents the intellectual and emotional space where found family coheres.

Complexity and Contradiction

The theme of found family is not presented without tension. Lucian initially resists the idea that he deserves or needs anyone. His anger at Sloane over her 911 call as teenagers—which led to his father’s arrest and his own sense of betrayal—shows how past trauma can poison the possibility of new bonds. Even after the proposal, Lucian confronts Sloane about her refusal to unpack at his house (Chapter 44), revealing a deep fear of commitment. The impromptu therapy session with Emry forces them to confront buried resentments. Found family is not a quick fix; it requires vulnerability, apology, and deliberate work.

Similarly, Sloane’s biological family, though loving, is incomplete. Her father’s death leaves a void that her friends fill, but she must also navigate her mother’s leaving town and her sister’s own struggles. The novel acknowledges that found family does not replace biological ties but supplements and sometimes heals them. The mysterious angel ornament resembling Simon at the wedding suggests that the deceased are still part of the circle, blurring the line between blood and chosen kin.

Another contradiction lies in the character of Wylie Ogden. He is a former police chief who betrays the community and shoots Sloane. Yet his eventual confession and arrest come through the group’s intervention. The found family must sometimes expel its own toxic members, showing that belonging is not unconditional for those who harm others.

Study Questions and Answers

How does the novel’s opening funeral scene establish the theme of found family?
The funeral in Chapter 1 draws together biological family (Karen, Maeve, Chloe) and friends (Naomi, Lina, Knox, Nash). They share dark humor, alcohol, and emotional support, setting the pattern: when one person grieves, the whole community carries them. Sloane’s need for her own family is sparked by holding a baby at the visitation, and her friends later ensure she does not grieve alone.
What role do the Morgan brothers play in Lucian’s journey toward accepting found family?
Knox and Nash repeatedly show up for Lucian—with beer after the funeral (Chapter 2), during the snowball fight (Chapter 4), and during the final confrontation with Wylie. They treat him like a brother, even when he pushes them away. Their consistent presence teaches Lucian that he can rely on others, eventually allowing him to trust Sloane and her circle.
How does the symbol of the cherry tree evolve throughout the story?
The cherry tree first appears as the porch tree tradition—a family ritual Sloane neglected during grief. In Chapter 45, the Morgan brothers cover her porch in cherry blossoms as a surprise, symbolizing the community’s gift of joy. In the bonus epilogue, a framed cherry blossom becomes an anniversary gift, representing the family tree Lucian and Sloane have grown together.
Why does Lucian initially resist the idea of found family, and what changes his mind?
Lucian’s abusive father taught him that vulnerability leads to pain. He rejects intimacy and hides behind control and wealth. His mind changes through small acts of care: the Walsons’ acceptance, Emry’s persistence, Sloane’s refusal to give up, and the Morgan brothers’ friendship. The final straw is when he chooses not to kill Wylie, embracing a future with Sloane and their community.
How does the bonus epilogue reinforce the novel’s message about found family?
Set ten years later, the bonus epilogue shows Lucian and Sloane hosting a Christmas dinner surrounded by children, grandchildren, dogs, and friends. Lucian holds his adopted grandson and reflects that he now has the family he never thought possible. The scene proves that found family is not temporary but can become a lasting, multigenerational reality.