Annie is shown to be a very cautious girl. She wears safety equipment like we wear clothes. She is always on the lookout for unsafe situations or diseases she could come down with. On page 7, your heart breaks as you realize why--her brother has just died from an accident. :( She is obviously not handling it well and has become a bit of a hypochondriac. She doesn't understand how rare the condition was that killed her brother and worries constantly. Her parents are busy dealing with their grief and really are rather neglecting Annie's grieving process. Her new neighbor helps her put it into perspective and tells her that she is so busy worrying that she hasn't realized that the rain has stopped and it's time to put away the umbrella. The new neighbor coming at just the right time and being the perfect person is a little convenient and feels like Deus ex machina, but it is a pleasant story.