House Taken Over

in this paragraph

What do these details show about the character and their lives?


"I
 had 
to

shut the 
door 
to 
the
passage.
They’ve 
taken
 over 
the
 back 
part."
She
 let 
her knitting 
fall
 and 
looked 
at
 me 
with 
her
 tired,
serious 
eyes.

"You're
 sure?"
I 
nodded.
"In
 that 
case,"
she 
said, 
picking 
up 
her 
knitting again,
"we'll 
have
 to
 live 
on 
this 
side."
I 
sipped 
at
 the 
mat e
very 
carefully, 
but 
she 
took 
her
 time 
starting 
her 
work 
again.
I 
remember it
 was 
a 
gray 
vest

she
 was 
knitting.
I
 liked 
that vest.