Parker is a "walkaway" as opposed to a "runaway". One day, when she had just turned sixteen, she just got tired of being in the system, and she packed her things and walked away. As an artist, she shows and sells her work around Detroit at various art fairs. It helps to pay the rent.
"...A solitary life you lead, but it's not for you," the old woman mutters. "You will need to count on others to find your true happiness, ask once and you shall receive...