Chapter 22: Eve and Dom's Honeymoon Flight

⚠️ 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

Eve wakes abruptly from a nap on the plane, embarrassed by her open-mouthed sleep. She and her new husband Dom are flying to their honeymoon. Eve is uncomfortable in her vintage wedding dress and scratchy new lingerie, bought at her friends' insistence. Dom is absorbed in phone puzzles, trying to maintain his streaks. Eve reflects on her mother's critical comments—about the dress's stain, about marrying young, about taking Dom's surname. She worries about appearing unsophisticated and about the gap between romantic ideals and reality. As the plane prepares to land, a baby cries and the cabin grows loud. An old lady in the aisle points directly at Eve and says, “I expect intimate partner homicide. Age twenty-five.” Eve is startled and looks to Dom, confused.

Key Events

• Eve wakes from a nap, self-conscious about drooling in her wedding dress.
• Dom remains focused on his phone puzzles, not fully engaged.
• Eve internally recounts her mother's disapproving remarks about the wedding and dress.
• She remembers her mother's advice on checking into a hotel and the tension over feminism.
• Eve considers but rejects the idea of trying choking during sex, as her friend Liv suggested.
• A baby cries, cabin noise increases, and landing is announced.
• An old woman standing in the aisle points at Eve and utters a prediction of intimate partner homicide at age 25.

Character Development

Eve emerges as anxious and insecure beneath a desire to appear different and romantic. She obsesses over her appearance, her mother's judgment, and her own lack of sophistication. Her internal conflict between feminist ideals and romantic gestures (like being carried over the threshold) reveals her struggle to define herself apart from her mother. The prediction leaves her unsettled but unclear about its meaning.

Dom remains distant, caught up in his phone. His lack of attention contrasts with Eve's need for connection, hinting at potential communication issues in the marriage. He does not notice the old woman's comment.

Eve's mother (unnamed) is present through Eve's memories—a sharp, feminist single parent who opposed the marriage and criticizes Eve's choices. Her voice shapes Eve's self-doubt.

The old lady appears only at the end but delivers the chapter's most jarring moment. Her prediction introduces a dark undercurrent that will likely ripple through the story.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Performance vs. Reality: Eve's wedding dress and lingerie symbolize the performative nature of marriage. She feels trapped by the expectation to look and act a certain way, while Dom's phone use shows his withdrawal from performance.

Generational Conflict: Eve's mother represents a modern feminist viewpoint that questions marriage as an institution. Eve resists her mother's opinions yet internalizes her criticism, illustrating tension between generations.

The Body Under Scrutiny: Eve is acutely aware of her body—the scratchy lingerie, the hairspray, the sun-emoji stain. The old woman's gaze and prediction turn her body into a site of potential violence.

Threat of Violence: The prediction of intimate partner homicide injects a shock of danger into an otherwise mundane honeymoon scene, suggesting that violence can intrude without warning.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter shifts the tone from romantic comedy to suspense. It establishes Eve and Dom as a young couple with ordinary tensions and then undermines that normalcy with a cryptic, violent prophecy. The prediction likely becomes a key plot driver, forcing readers to consider its implications for Eve's future. The chapter also deepens Eve's character, showing her vulnerabilities and setting up her relationship with her mother as a source of ongoing conflict.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why is Eve so uncomfortable on the plane, despite just getting married?
Eve is physically uncomfortable in her scratchy dress and new lingerie, and emotionally uneasy about Dom's distraction, her mother's disapproval, and her own fear of being judged as unsophisticated.

2. What does the old woman's prediction suggest about the story's direction?
It introduces a serious threat—intimate partner homicide—that clashes with the honeymoon setting. This suggests that violence or danger may be central to the plot, possibly connected to Eve and Dom's relationship or to a broader pattern of predictions in the novel.

3. How does Eve's relationship with her mother shape her thoughts in this chapter?
Eve remembers her mother's criticism of her dress, her decision to marry young, and her taking Dom's surname. These memories feed Eve's insecurity and her desire to prove her mother wrong, yet she also acknowledges her mother's correct intuitions (e.g., the uncomfortable dress). Their tension reflects broader debates about feminism, tradition, and independence.

Navigation

Previous Chapter: Chapter 21
Next Chapter: Chapter 23
Back to Book Hub