meaning of "soft-skinned"

[chebu]

Your help will be highly appreciated.

What is the meaning of "soft-skinned " in the following sentences?
It's a part of a short novel.

"It’s true. I did borrow Mother’s Carmen Miranda Red lipstick
and dangling sapphire earrings. Nine years old, Nicole Odair—
gloriously, fabulously beautiful. I lost one earring, of course: hanging
upside down, skirt flying over my head, careless Nicole exposed on
the monkey bars.
Mother charged me ninety-two dollars so that she could buy a
new pair. But they were too dear, those sparkling jewels, a greatgrandmother’slast gift, Here, my darling, be wonderful. To punish
us, Mother never replaced them.
Still, I paid. Ninety-two dollars. I was a child with no piggy bank
full of coins, no secret savings, no allowance. You can pay it off in
work, she said. Thirty cents an hour.
Nine, ten, eleven years old, she hoped I’d learned my lesson.
I did learn. I learned my soft-skinned mother who spoke Spanish
with a rippling tongue could turn mean in my language, could cling
to loss, could hurt as long as memory lasted.
Mother! I can’t forgive you. To forgive, some place in the heart
has to remain hard, has to hold a stone of blame to cast in silence. I
am washed clean by grief and guttered out by the strange sound of
merciful laughter."

Thank you in advance.

[Tdol]

It sounds literal to me- he skin was soft to the toch.

[BobK]

It sounds literal to me- her skin was soft to the touch.

Either that or it may be used to imply contrast to 'thick-skinned' (thick-skinned: Definition and Much More from Answers.com ). Maybe the author is suggesting that her normally compliant/forgiving/sensitive mother has a darker side.

b

[chebu]

It sounds literal to me- he skin was soft to the toch.

Dear Tdol,
Thank you for reply.

[chebu]

Either that or it may be used to imply contrast to 'thick-skinned' (thick-skinned: Definition and Much More from Answers.com ). Maybe the author is suggesting that her normally compliant/forgiving/sensitive mother has a darker side.

b

Thank you for your help.

Since the author writes "(her mother) could turn mean...",
maybe the author suggests that the mather has some bad character.

"I learned my soft-skinned mother who spoke Spanish
with a rippling tongue could turn mean in my language, could cling
to loss, could hurt as long as memory lasted."