Content Warning: This section mentions child neglect.

Roses symbolize both permanence and stability and impermanence and instability. When Amber first appears in person, Emma mentions how “she smelled the way she always did during good times. Like roses […] strong and fresh” (98). The adjectives used to describe the scent represent the stability of Amber’s current mental state. It also represents the childlike hope that Emma harbors that her mother might stay permanently this time around. Emma views the rose scent of Amber’s perfume as a barometer:

[W]hen she stopped putting it on, it meant she was getting closer to disappearing again. When she started losing interest in self-care, she’d start losing interest in everything. Her job, her responsibilities. [Emma]. […] The fading scent of roses would make [her] brace (98).

When the scent of roses disappears, Emma has learned to anticipate impermanence and instability.

Shortly after moving into Neil’s home, Amber paints a large, whimsical mural of bold and beautiful colorful roses. When Emma regards her mother during this scene, she notes Amber’s happiness and is soothed by “the light scent of her rose perfume” (132). The roses are a hopeful sign for Emma who believes that “maybe [Amber] would stay […] Maybe she was doing okay.