Chapter Seven: Alana – The House at Stake
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Complete Chapter Summary
Alana receives a second phone call from Brady Kane’s lawyer, Leo, who apologizes again but confirms the unwelcome news: Cal wants to sell the house they inherited together. Leo explains that all property decisions must be mutual, but if Alana refuses to sell, she must buy Cal out of his half—a sum around a million dollars. The pressure builds as Alana rubs her temples and grips the counter for support.
Desperate for comfort, Alana texts her friends Delilah and Violet for an emergency girls’ night. Both arrive with snacks, skincare supplies, and Violet’s trademark energy. Violet ribbed Delilah about stand‑up comedy, and Delilah fired back with sarcasm. Before the conversation deepens, Alana checks on her sleeping daughter Cami, kissing her forehead and whispering a Spanish goodnight. She recalls the day she brought Cami back to Michigan as an infant.
Back in the living room, Alana explains the legal bind. Violet suggests a cunning workaround: list the house at an absurdly high price so no buyer would consider it. Delilah and Alana recognize the plan’s genius. Despite past failed schemes involving handcuffs, Alana decides to try the inflated list price rather than give up without a fight. The chapter ends with her embracing the desperate idea.
Key Events
- Alana learns from Leo that she must either agree to sell the house or buy Cal out for roughly a million dollars.
- Alana texts Delilah and Violet for an emergency girls’ night; they arrive with snacks and skincare.
- Alana checks on Cami, who sleeps with a stuffed lamb, and recalls the day she became Cami’s guardian.
- During the conversation, Violet references Alana’s long sobriety pledge, which began to support Cal’s rehab and continued after he left.
- Violet proposes setting a prohibitively high list price to discourage buyers.
- Alana, after initial hesitation, agrees to the scheme.
Character Development
Alana is shown under extreme financial and emotional strain. Her instinct to lean on close friends reveals her need for support, while her sobriety pledge—kept even after Cal’s departure—highlights her stubborn loyalty and discipline. She transforms from resigned despair to cautious action when she adopts Violet’s plan.
Violet emerges as the resourceful, reckless friend. Her past as a “mastermind behind schemes” (including minor arrests) positions her as the catalyst for Alana’s risky countermove. Her quick, creative thinking contrasts with Delilah’s more cautious demeanor.
Delilah acts as the grounded voice of reason. She questions the feasibility of the plan but ultimately endorses it, showing her trust in Violet’s instincts and her loyalty to Alana.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Shared ownership and power imbalance – The house represents a joint asset where Cal’s legal right to sell forces Alana into an impossible choice: buy him out or lose her home. The theme of unequal control recurs throughout the chapter.
Sobriety and deferred promises – Alana’s ten‑year alcohol‑free streak began to support Cal’s rehab. Even after he left, she never drank, symbolizing a commitment that outlasted the relationship. The unopened wine bottle without a corkscrew becomes a poignant image of unresolved grief.
Friendship as survival – The emergency girls’ night is not merely social; it is Alana’s lifeline. Her friends provide both emotional grounding and a creative, if unorthodox, solution to her legal dilemma.
Inflated price as rebellion – Violet’s scheme turns the system of valuation against itself. By refusing to sell at a fair market price, Alana reclaims agency in a situation where the law gave her none.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter Seven deepens the central conflict of the novel: the shared house that binds Alana and Cal even after their breakup. The legal detail of the buyout clause raises the stakes significantly—Alana cannot simply refuse to sell; she must pay a sum she cannot afford. The introduction of Violet’s inflated‑price scheme sets up the next phase of the story, where Alana will actively sabotage the sale rather than passively accept it. The chapter also humanizes Alana through her maternal moments with Cami and her unbroken sobriety pledge, making her a sympathetic underdog. Finally, the strong female friendship dynamic provides contrast to the tense relationship with Cal, hinting that Alana’s support system may be her greatest weapon.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Alana’s sobriety pledge remain important even though Cal is no longer in her life?
Alana originally stopped drinking to support Cal during rehab. After he left, she attempted to break the pledge but accidentally bought wine without a corkscrew. That failed attempt led her to recommit, turning the pledge into a personal symbol of independence and self‑control rather than a gesture tied to Cal.
2. How does Violet’s suggestion of an inflated list price reflect the theme of power imbalance?
The house is jointly owned, but Cal’s desire to sell forces Alana into a lose‑lose situation. Violet’s scheme flips the power dynamic by making the property essentially unsellable. It is a clever, if risky, way for Alana to assert control over her own home without fighting the legal framework.
3. What does Alana’s visit to Cami’s room reveal about her character beyond the conflict with Cal?
The visit shows Alana as a devoted mother. She checks on Cami gently, strokes her hair, and whispers a Spanish endearment. The flashback to the social worker giving Cami the stuffed lamb underscores the day Alana became a guardian, highlighting her deep commitment to her daughter.