Funny Story Chapter 27 (Chapter 26) – Summary & Analysis

Spoiler Notice

This page contains detailed spoilers for Chapter 27 (Chapter 26) of Funny Story by Emily Henry. If you haven't read this chapter yet, proceed with caution.

Summary

Daphne discovers the cheap motel her dad and Starfire booked has terrible reviews mentioning bedbugs and cockroaches. She insists they stay at her shared apartment instead, rearranging sleeping arrangements: Daphne’s dad and Starfire take her bedroom, Miles takes the couch, and Julia uses an air mattress in Miles’s room. During a quiet moment with Miles, the tension between them is broken by noises from her dad’s room. The next evening, Daphne meets her dad and Starfire at a brewery and learns they spent the day exploring the dunes. They later visit Miles at Cherry Hill winery. While sitting on the lawn, Daphne’s dad toasts the “gracious hosts” and Starfire toasts her “beautiful new family.” Daphne feels a twinge of guilt—whether she is betraying her mom or risking trust again. She decides people can change and lifts her glass.

Key Events

Daphne reads the motel reviews aloud and decides the three seniors cannot stay there.
Plans for the night are adjusted: Daphne gives up her room; Miles gives up his bed for the couch; Julia sleeps on an air mattress in Miles’s room.
A charged moment between Daphne and Miles is interrupted by a cough and smell of weed from her dad’s room.
The next day, Daphne joins her dad and Starfire at a brewery for bocce, dinner, and conversation about her library work.
The group walks to Cherry Hill winery, where Miles is busy working; Katya gives them a free bottle.
They sit on the lawn, drink wine, and watch the sky turn dark.
Miles joins them after his shift; a toast is proposed by Dad and Starfire.
Daphne internally wrestles with guilt and fear about trusting her father again, then decides to be present and toast.

Character Development

Daphne grows more comfortable with her dad’s presence, but she also confronts old wounds. The toast scene shows her choosing vulnerability over self-protection.
Miles remains quietly supportive, offering his bed and his space without pressure. His knee-brushing gesture signals empathy without demanding a response.
Julia (Miles’s sister) is briefly present; she defers to Daphne about sleeping arrangements and seems resolved to return to Chicago. Her evasive answer suggests unresolved tension about her time there.
Dad shows a more engaged side than Daphne is used to—asking about her job, being proud, and making spontaneous connections (the hotel owner on Mackinac Island). He is still the same charming, unreliable man, but he is also trying.
Starfire is warm and earnest, offering to be called “Mom” (which Daphne gently declines), and expressing her joy at being part of Daphne’s family.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Trust and fear of betrayal: The central emotional conflict. Daphne’s internal question—“am I making space for someone who will disappoint me?”—echoes her past with her father.
Home and belonging: The rearrangement of sleeping spaces physically mirrors the emotional reordering of Daphne’s life. Her room becomes a guest room; her sense of home is shared.
Family definitions: Starfire’s toast to “my beautiful new family” and the awkward “call me Mom” exchange highlight chosen versus biological family.
Fireworks and sensory memory: Daphne’s dream of fireworks and cool hands (from the previous chapter’s kiss?) suggests unresolved attraction to Miles, even as the narrative focuses on her father.
The lawn as liminal space: Sitting on the grass at twilight, between day and night, mirrors Daphne’s state of transition.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens the parallel between Daphne’s relationship with her father and her growing feelings for Miles. Both involve risk: trusting someone who has let her down (Dad) and trusting someone who could potentially hurt her (Miles). The relaxed evening with her dad and Starfire provides a rare moment of ease, but Daphne’s internal turmoil shows healing is not linear. The toast scene is a quiet turning point: she does not forgive everything, but she chooses to stay. This choice reflects the book’s larger theme that people can change and that happiness requires a leap of faith.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Daphne decide not to let her dad and Starfire stay at the motel, and what does this decision reveal about her?
She insists they stay after reading the motel’s terrible reviews because she cares about their safety and comfort, even though she is still wary of her father. This reveals that Daphne’s protective instincts and sense of responsibility override her resentment.

2. How does the author use the sleeping arrangement conflict to reveal character dynamics?
The negotiations over who sleeps where show Daphne’s willingness to sacrifice her own comfort, Miles’s deference to her wishes, Julia’s pragmatic distance, and the parents’ casual acceptance of hospitality. It also creates the intimate moment between Daphne and Miles that is interrupted—a reminder that their relationship exists within the pressures of family.

3. What does Daphne mean when she thinks, “I can be here, in the moment, instead of watching for smoke, ready to run”?
She resolves to stop anticipating disappointment from her father (and, by extension, from Miles) and to fully inhabit the present experience. This line marks her conscious decision to give her dad a chance and to allow herself to feel happiness, even if it might not last.