Chapter 18 Summary: “17 Routine butthole maintenance”
⚠️ 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
Zoey meets Hazel at Perked Up café, where Hazel teases her about Gage’s near-naked raccoon chase and presses for details on their farm tour. Zoey admits she is confused: she feels attracted to Gage despite knowing he wants a serious relationship, something she claims she does not want. After a re‑enactment of the sports‑bra incident, Zoey leaves to visit Opal at the Haven retirement community. Opal, a retired psychologist, immediately identifies symptoms of ADHD in Zoey and gives her two books on the subject. Zoey is stunned by the accuracy of Opal’s observations. Opal then reveals that she has written five and a half manuscripts and agrees to let Zoey represent her as a literary agent. The chapter ends with Opal telling Zoey to stop wasting energy on things she is bad at and instead double down on her strengths.
Key Events
- Hazel shows Zoey a photo of Cam chasing a raccoon in his underwear.
- Zoey admits she is “confused” about Gage: she is attracted to him but believes he is a terrible fit because he wants marriage and she avoids relationships.
- Hazel and café owner Jennifer Jang force Zoey to re‑enact the sports‑bra scene (using the name “Adonis”).
- Zoey goes to the Haven to pitch Opal on representing her as an author.
- Opal immediately begins questioning Zoey about behaviors like difficulty processing verbal directions, forgetting laundry, and feeling ashamed.
- Opal reveals she is a retired psychologist and diagnoses Zoey with ADHD.
- Opal gives Zoey two books on ADHD and recommends she take an online assessment.
- Opal then opens a drawer full of manuscripts and agrees to let Zoey read them and potentially represent her.
- Opal advises Zoey to focus on what she is good at rather than trying to improve weaknesses.
Character Development
Zoey
Zoey’s internal conflict deepens. She openly acknowledges that Gage is “earnest and respectful” yet insists she cannot want a relationship. Hazel challenges her to consider whether she truly does not want one or simply believes she cannot have one. Later, Opal’s ADHD diagnosis reframes Zoey’s lifelong struggles with forgetfulness, impulsivity, and shame. For the first time, Zoey hears that her difficulties are not a moral failing but a treatable condition. This revelation plants a seed of hope and self‑acceptance.
Opal
Opal is revealed to be far more than a grumpy resident. Her forty‑year career as a psychologist makes her an astute observer. She immediately identifies Zoey’s ADHD symptoms and delivers the diagnosis without sugar‑coating. Opal also shows vulnerability: she admits she is not ready to be “completely invisible” and opens her drawer of manuscripts, acknowledging her fear of failing so close to the end of her life. This choice marks a shift from isolation to tentative trust.
Hazel
Hazel continues her role as a supportive but blunt friend. She pushes Zoey to examine her avoidance of relationships and offers the distinction between “nice guy” and “good guy.” Hazel’s persistence reflects her belief that Zoey is capable of more than she allows herself.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Self‑Discovery and Diagnosis
The chapter introduces a major theme: the power of understanding one’s own neurotype. Opal’s blunt identification of ADHD provides Zoey with a new lens through which to view her past failures and anxieties. The books Opal gives her symbolize the possibility of self‑knowledge and change.
The Fear of Failure vs. Perseverance
Opal’s reluctance to share her manuscripts stems from a fear of failing after a lifetime of success. Zoey counters this by reframing the act of finishing five novels as “perseverance” rather than failure. The contrast between Opal’s professional competence and her creative self‑doubt mirrors Zoey’s own shame spiral.
Outsourcing Weaknesses
Opal’s advice to “stop wasting time on things you can’t do” and instead focus on strengths becomes a key thematic point. This pragmatic approach challenges the cultural expectation that everyone should be well‑rounded and validates the idea of delegating or ignoring tasks that are not one’s strengths.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a turning point for Zoey’s character arc. It provides a plausible psychological framework for her scattered behavior, which has been played for humor in earlier chapters. Opal’s diagnosis grounds Zoey’s struggles in reality and opens the door to genuine growth. Additionally, the chapter advances the subplot of Zoey’s career: landing Opal as a client could be a major professional breakthrough. The personal and professional threads converge, making this one of the most significant chapters in the novel.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What specific behaviors does Opal observe that lead her to suspect Zoey has ADHD?
Opal asks about difficulty following conversations in noisy places, trouble with verbal directions, forgetting laundry, needing to keep documents out to remember them, feeling ashamed, and using alcohol to quiet the mind. Zoey confirms each of these.
2. How does Hazel challenge Zoey’s belief that she does not want a relationship?
Hazel asks whether Zoey genuinely does not want a relationship or simply thinks she cannot have one because of her parents’ divorce and her own past. She urges Zoey to consider that she might be avoiding relationships out of fear rather than genuine preference.
3. What advice does Opal give Zoey about how to approach her weaknesses?
Opal advises Zoey to stop wasting time trying to improve things she is bad at and instead focus her energy on the things she is already good at. She suggests outsourcing tasks that are not strengths and making uninteresting tasks more engaging.