Alex didn't understand because he had never wanted a family the way Claire did. He didn't even know what he was missing. He still didn't understand family dynamics. All he knew was that she was important to him so 'family' was the best word he could use for her.
But her explanation did help him realize that emotions could be much more complicated than he originally thought. They weren't separate entities; they could be blended together when a person was overwhelmed by a situation.
He might not get everything she was saying to him but he could tell that she was upset by all of this because of conflicting feelings that had built up over many years. That was the main takeaway here.
"Somewhat," Alex confessed. "I don't get everything but thank you for explaining it to me."
Claire sighed. "Forget it. Let's just go to bed. It's been a really long day."
