Chapter Twenty-five: Krissy, 2009 – Summary and Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Late on a Saturday night in 2009, Krissy sits alone with a glass of wine and a letter from her son Jace. In it, he writes, “I don’t know what you think happened to January, but I’m not the one who killed her.” The line shatters Krissy’s long‑held certainty. She has always remembered finding the basement door open, Jace standing over their sister’s dead body, and six‑year‑old Jace asking, “Can we play tomorrow, Mommy?”
Krissy writes down every detail of that night from her own memory and sends a copy to Jace, asking him to do the same. When his account arrives, she sees clear discrepancies and begins to believe he may be telling the truth. The possibility that she has been wrong for fifteen years floods her with relief and shame.
She calls her best friend Jodie and goes to her house. There, for the first time, Krissy tells the whole story of what really happened the night January died: waking to a crash, finding Jace over the body, staging a fake break‑in. Jodie listens without judgment. Krissy then confesses a second secret: Billy is not the biological father of the twins; Dave is. She explains that she and Dave had a brief affair the summer after high school, and when she became pregnant, Billy proposed.
A flashback shows Dave’s visit when the twins were five months old. Krissy, terrified that others would see Dave’s resemblance in the babies, coldly turned him away. She has kept him at a distance ever since. Now, believing Jace’s claim of innocence, she feels driven to make amends. She decides to tell Dave that he is the twins’ father, despite Jodie’s warning that Dave may react with anger rather than gratitude.
Key Events
- Krissy reads Jace’s letter claiming he did not kill January.
- She relives her memory of finding Jace over January’s body.
- She writes her own version of events and asks Jace to do the same.
- After comparing accounts, she concludes Jace may be telling the truth.
- She goes to Jodie’s house and confesses the cover‑up of January’s death.
- Krissy reveals that Dave, not Billy, is the twins’ biological father.
- A flashback recalls Dave’s visit when the twins were infants; Krissy pushed him away.
- Krissy decides to tell Dave the truth, against Jodie’s advice.
Character Development
Krissy: Her entire worldview is upended. For fifteen years she believed she was protecting Jace; now she fears she may have let the real killer go free. Her decision to unburden herself to Jodie marks a turning point toward honesty. Her choice to tell Dave about the twins shows a new willingness to face the consequences of past lies.
Jodie: She is Krissy’s confidante and emotional anchor. She listens without judgment when Krissy reveals the darkest secrets, but she also offers a pragmatic warning about Dave’s possible reaction. Her loyalty is clear, even when she disagrees with Krissy’s plan.
Jace (off‑page): His letter forces Krissy to re‑examine everything. He is portrayed not as a monster but as a young man reaching out to his mother, insisting on his innocence.
Dave (in flashback): Once a close friend, he becomes the victim of Krissy’s fear. The flashback shows his initial hurt and eventual understanding when Krissy rejects him.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Secrets and their corrosive effect: Krissy has carried two huge secrets—the cover‑up and Dave’s paternity—for over a decade. Both have poisoned her relationships with Jace, Billy, and Dave. The act of confession feels “cleansing,” like a band loosening around her chest.
Memory and doubt: The chapter centers on the unreliability of memory. Krissy’s recollection of finding Jace over the body seems solid, yet Jace’s account forces her to question everything. “The mere possibility that Jace hadn’t killed January felt like someone had upended her life.” This theme echoes the novel’s broader exploration of truth and perspective.
Motherhood and protection: Krissy’s lies were rooted in a desire to protect her son. Now she wonders if that protection actually harmed him and let a killer escape. Her later impulse to tell Dave is also maternal—she wants to give Jace a relationship with his biological father.
The letter: Jace’s letter is a physical symbol of the challenge to Krissy’s narrative. It is the catalyst that sets the entire confession in motion.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a major turning point. It reveals that the central assumption of the 1994 event—that Jace killed January—may be false. Krissy’s confession to Jodie provides the clearest account yet of what happened that night, and her admission about Dave’s paternity adds a new layer of complexity to the family dynamics. The chapter sets up a potential confrontation with Dave and leaves Jace’s innocence as an open question that will likely drive the remainder of the book.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Krissy begin to believe Jace’s claim that he did not kill January?
She writes down her own memory of the night and asks Jace to do the same. When she compares the two accounts, she finds discrepancies that make her doubt her own certainty. She also reasons that Jace has no motive to lie after fifteen years, especially since she already protected him.
2. What motivates Krissy to tell Dave that he is the twins’ father?
Having just acknowledged the damage caused by her secrecy, Krissy feels a compulsion to purge all remaining lies. She believes Dave deserves to know the truth, and she wants to give Jace a relationship with his biological father as a way to make amends for the estrangement.
3. How does Jodie’s response contrast with Krissy’s decision?
Jodie advises against telling Dave. She points out that Krissy cut Dave off without explanation two decades ago, and he may be angry rather than grateful to learn he has children he never knew. Jodie’s caution highlights the risk Krissy is taking by prioritizing honesty over stability.