Chapter Twenty-Six: Summary, Analysis, and Study Notes

⚠️ 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

Liz finally visits her mother’s grave for the first time in two years. She sits beside the mums, crying uncontrollably, and tells her mother everything that has happened since she left for college. She reflects on how she avoided coming home—first spring break, then summer classes, then a Colorado Christmas—because the thought of seeing Wes was unbearable. She talks to her mother daily, but touching the cold marble headstone makes her fall apart. After a long while, she stands and walks toward Mr. Bennett’s grave, feeling an illogical pull to visit him.

Under the cottonwood tree, she finds at least fifteen baseballs nestled into the mud at the base of the headstone, and a key ring with a Bruins Baseball key chain lying on the ground. She picks up the keys, assuming they are Wes’s, and then talks to Mr. Bennett, telling him about Wes’s pitching at the exhibition game and using his favorite phrase, “threw ’em the gas.” She runs home, showers, and later texts Wes about the keys. He calls her back, clearly drunk, and explains he left the keys at his father’s grave because “he should have them.” He says he’s spending the last night alone in the emptied Bennett house, and that he couldn’t have anyone over because his dad would hate it.

Liz worries about him being alone and drunk. She texts him at 2:15 AM, gets no response, and decides to go check on him. She knocks on the door, hears Foo Fighters music blasting, and lets herself in with the house key. The living room is completely empty—no furniture, no pictures. She follows the sound to his parents’ bedroom, where she finds Wes shirtless on the floor, thrashing in his sleep, crying out for help. She wakes him, and he is disoriented, thinking his father needs CPR. She tells him his father is gone. He stumbles to the living room, staring at the spot where his dad’s recliner used to be, then falls to his knees, saying he can’t fix it and it’s his fault. Liz kneels beside him, puts her hand on his back, and tries to calm his panic attack, recognizing it from her own experience. She tells him to look at her.

Key Events

Liz visits her mother’s grave for the first time in two years and breaks down.
She goes to Mr. Bennett’s grave and finds baseballs and a key ring with a Bruins key chain.
She texts Wes about the keys; he calls drunk, saying he left them there.
Wes reveals he’s alone in the emptied house for the last night.
Liz texts at 2:15 AM, gets no response, and goes to his house.
She lets herself in with the house key and finds Wes having a nightmare.
She wakes him; he is distraught, thinking his father needs help.
She tries to calm his panic attack, kneeling with him in the empty living room.

Character Development

Liz

This chapter shows Liz confronting her avoidance. She admits she stayed away from home for two years because of anxiety about seeing Wes, and she feels guilty about not visiting her mother’s grave. Her grief is raw and immediate when she touches the headstone. She also shows empathy and courage: despite their painful history, she goes to Wes’s house in the middle of the night because she’s worried about him. She recognizes his panic attack because she’s dealt with her own, and she uses that experience to help him. Her decision to let herself in with the house key—a key that symbolizes access and belonging—marks a shift from avoidance to active care.

Wes

Wes is revealed as deeply wounded. He’s drunk and alone in the emptied family home, leaving his keys at his father’s grave as a symbolic gesture. His nightmare reenacts his father’s death—he cries out for help, thinks CPR is needed, and says “I have to fix him.” His survivor’s guilt is explicit: he says “It’s my fault.” He falls to his knees, unable to cope. This chapter strips away his usual sarcasm and bravado, showing his vulnerability and the unresolved trauma he carries.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Grief and mourning: Both Liz and Wes are actively grieving—Liz for her mother, Wes for his father. The cemetery visit is a physical act of connection.
Avoidance of painful places: Liz avoided the cemetery and home for two years; Wes avoids the reality of his father’s death by drinking and staying in the empty house.
Baseballs as grave offerings: The baseballs at Mr. Bennett’s grave are a tangible way Wes honors his father’s love of the game.
Keys as symbols of access and belonging: The key ring Liz finds represents access to the Bennett house and, metaphorically, to Wes’s emotional state. Liz uses the house key to enter, crossing a boundary.
The empty family home: The stripped-down house mirrors the emptiness of grief and the loss of family structure.
Nightmares and trauma reenactment: Wes’s nightmare replays his father’s death, showing how trauma persists.
Panic attacks: Liz recognizes Wes’s panic attack from her own experience, highlighting shared vulnerability.
Survivor’s guilt: Wes blames himself for his father’s death, saying “It’s my fault.”
Alcohol as coping mechanism: Wes uses alcohol to numb his pain, but it only intensifies his distress.
Caretaking across boundaries: Liz steps in to help Wes despite their past, showing that care can transcend broken relationships.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point in the novel. It forces Liz to confront her avoidance and her lingering feelings for Wes, while revealing Wes’s deep, unresolved grief. The emotional rawness of the scene—Liz finding Wes in the throes of a nightmare, his panic attack, and her calming presence—creates a powerful moment of connection. It also sets up the possibility of reconciliation, as Liz chooses to be there for Wes when he needs someone most. The chapter deepens both characters, showing that grief can be isolating but also that empathy can bridge even the widest gaps.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Liz avoid coming home for two years?

Liz avoids coming home because of the anxiety she feels about seeing Wes after their breakup. She uses various excuses—spring break trips, summer classes, a Colorado Christmas—to stay away, even though she talks to her mother daily. The thought of returning home is so painful that she grabs onto any method of avoidance.

2. What do the baseballs and keys symbolize in this chapter?

The baseballs are offerings Wes leaves at his father’s grave, honoring his father’s love of baseball and maintaining a connection. The keys symbolize access and belonging—Wes leaves them at the grave because “he should have them,” suggesting he’s letting go of the family home. Liz later uses the house key to enter the Bennett house, symbolizing her access to Wes’s emotional state and her willingness to cross boundaries to help him.

3. How does Liz help Wes during his panic attack?

Liz recognizes Wes’s panic attack because she has dealt with her own. She kneels beside him, puts her hand on his back, and tries to ground him by telling him to look at her. She also tells him his father is gone, which helps him confront reality. Her calm presence and physical touch are attempts to bring him back from the spiral of guilt and fear.