Sheila told her friend June wasn't demonstrative, so Sheila's need for cuddles wasn't met.
That’s sad.
But some parents’, whether biological or adoptee ones can be cold.
Some people have difficulty being tactile or showing their emotions: no-one knows why June was like that, but whatever her difficulties were she’d have possibly treated all other children she had like that, regardless of whether they were her biological children or not.
You often hear of strict, stiff upper-lip fathers who never show physical affection to their children. Not so much with women, but there are some who find it hard to display physical affection. I wonder if June’s sister, Pamela, was/is similar? Remember, they could have been brought up not to show affection — it’s possible.
Reading what I have about June and Nevill I get the impression he was tactile, open and affectionate, whereas June was the very opposite. I suspect he too felt neglected in some ways. He told Barbara that June wasn’t the same girl as when he’d met her, so besides her psychological problems she may have had other problems she either hid or were never discovered. I feel sorry for her: it doesn’t sound like she was a happy, contented woman.