Characters should dance around certain "taboo" topics that everyone knows not to bring up. The tension built by what characters don't say is often more powerful than what they do say.

Families know exactly where the emotional bruises are. A passive-aggressive comment about a career choice or a cooking method can carry the weight of a physical blow.

love you don't, watching a character build a "logical family" from scratch provides that cathartic emotional payoff we all crave. 4. Secrets as Currency