Chapter summaries In the Likely Event Rebecca Yarros

Chapter Thirty-Three: Izzy – A New Beginning

⚠️ 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

In October 2021, Izzy boards a flight from Washington, DC, bound for the Maldives via Boston. For the first time since her trip to Palau, she has packed a full suitcase, bringing swimsuits and sundresses. She has not heard from Nate since leaving Kabul and assumes he is still deployed. Over the past six weeks, she has realized that being with Nate requires strength—to trust in his love—and patience to wait for his return. She has also decided she hates her political job and has quit. While reading a novel, a man asks to pass to the window seat: Nate. He switched flights to spend more travel time together. He tells her he quit his job, is in therapy, and no longer wants to leave their relationship to fate. Izzy enthusiastically agrees to take their shot, and they kiss as the plane takes off. She feels hopeful about their shared future.

Key Events

  • Izzy boards a flight to the Maldives, having made personal decisions about strength and patience.
  • She reveals she has quit her job in politics.
  • Nate surprises her by appearing on the same flight, having switched from a later connection.
  • Nate discloses he left his military career and is attending therapy.
  • Both agree to stop relying on fate and actively pursue a future together.
  • They share a prolonged kiss as the plane departs.

Character Development

  • Izzy: Demonstrates significant growth by leaving a career she abhors and committing to emotional vulnerability. She shifts from waiting passively to actively choosing a relationship with Nate.
  • Nate: Shows willingness to prioritize his mental health by entering therapy and leaving the military. He moves from “possibility” to full commitment, literally changing his travel plans to be with Izzy.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Second Chances: Both characters abandon previous lives and careers to start anew together.
  • Commitment over Fate: Nate explicitly rejects leaving their future to chance and insists on deliberate choice.
  • Mental Health: Nate’s therapy is presented as a normal, necessary part of his healing, not a barrier to love.
  • Flight as Transition: The airplane setting symbolizes movement away from the past and toward a shared horizon.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is the emotional climax of Izzy and Nate’s individual arcs. Both make concrete sacrifices (quitting jobs, therapy, altering travel) to remove the obstacles that kept them apart. It resolves the long-standing tension between them and sets the stage for a new phase in their relationship.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. What internal realizations does Izzy have during the six weeks before this chapter?
    She understands that being with Nate requires strength to trust his love and patience to endure separation. She also concludes that her political job is untenable.

  2. How does Nate demonstrate his changed priorities in this chapter?
    He surprises Izzy by taking an earlier flight, announces he has left the military, and discloses that he is in therapy—showing he is actively working on himself rather than passively accepting his circumstances.

  3. What do Izzy and Nate agree to change about their relationship?
    They agree to stop leaving their future to fate. Instead, they choose to take their shot, commit fully, and build a life together regardless of where they live or what they do.

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