Chapter Twenty-Four: Surfing, Memories, and What Belonging Really Means

⚠️ 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

Frankie and George sit on a bench in a Tofino beach parking lot, waiting for their surfing instructors. The surrounding forest and signs warning of cold water and rip currents set the scene. Frankie admits she’s always wanted to try surfing, and George reminds her of her Blue Crush phase. A flashback reveals the painful day George returned to the Big House at age fourteen after being abandoned by his father. Frankie found him sobbing in his room, his hair buzzed short, and comforted him with her mother’s whale bedtime story. Back in the present, George explains that surfing is part of “The Plan” for Day Three (movement). Their conversation shifts to Frankie’s past relationship with Nate and her evolving feelings. She confesses that she no longer believes Nate was the only person for her. If there is a single soulmate for her, it isn’t Nate. Reflecting on her parents’ marriage, she expresses fear that a partner might absorb her identity. George gently challenges her interpretation, suggesting she has been narrating her mother’s story incorrectly and should ask her directly. Frankie admits she chose Nate partly because their relationship was never intense enough to destroy her—a safe, right-moment-wrong-person pairing. She muses on what she truly wants: an equal belonging where two people belong to each other and to themselves. George agrees that sounds appealing.

Key Events

Frankie and George prepare for surfing lessons in Tofino.
A flashback to George’s return at age fourteen: Frankie finds him crying, his hair cut short by his father, and comforts him with a bedtime story.
George explains Day Three of his recovery plan focuses on movement and outdoor activity.
Frankie reveals she believes Nate was not her soulmate; the right person for her would not be him.
The conversation turns to Frankie’s parents’ relationship: her mother gave up her whale biology career after becoming pregnant, and Frankie fears the same erasure.
George advises Frankie to ask her mother directly about her own story, implying Frankie has misinterpreted it.
Frankie admits her relationship with Nate was safe because it lacked intensity and threat.
They discuss the concept of “equal belonging”—belonging to each other while still belonging to oneself.

Character Development

Frankie takes a major step in emotional clarity: she separates the idea of true love from the painful loss of Nate. Her admission that she chose a partner who wouldn’t overwhelm her shows growing self-awareness. She actively questions the narrative she’s carried about her mother’s sacrifice.
George continues his role as a steady, insightful guide. He wears contacts this chapter, a small visual detail that hints at vulnerability and change. His quiet comment about being in therapy reveals his own ongoing work. He challenges Frankie’s assumptions without judgment, encouraging her to seek the truth from her mother.
Both characters edge closer to acknowledging a potential shift in their relationship—the idea of “equal belonging” resonates with both, subtly bridging their past friendship and an uncertain future.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs Actually Evidenced Here

Belonging vs. Absorption: The central tension of the chapter. Frankie fears being subsumed by a partner, as she believes happened to her mother. The conversation reframes belonging as mutual rather than one-sided.
Soulmates vs. Right Person: Frankie rejects the notion that Nate was her only match. She opens the door to the possibility that soulmates aren’t fixed; what matters is a relationship that allows both people to grow.
The Safety of Unthreatening Love: Frankie admits she chose Nate because he was “easy” and not dangerous—a relationship that could never destroy her. This self-protection kept her from finding deeper connection.
Parental Stories: Frankie’s interpretation of her mother’s life serves as a cautionary tale, but George hints it may be inaccurate. The motif of inherited narratives versus lived truth appears frequently.
The Ocean and Surfing: The surfing lesson represents a new experience, a literal and figurative attempt to ride unpredictable waves. The warning signs (cold water, rip currents) mirror Frankie’s cautious approach to love.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point in Frankie’s emotional arc. She publicly and privately lets go of Nate as the “one,” freeing herself to consider what she truly needs in a partner. The conversation about equal belonging plants a seed for a possible future with George, though neither names it. The flashback to George’s teenage vulnerability deepens their bond, showing how Frankie has been his safe harbor too. Finally, George’s suggestion to ask her mother directly sets up a crucial moment of truth later in the story: Frankie may discover her own fears are rooted in a misremembered past.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Frankie say she chose Nate, and how does that change her view of love?
Frankie explains that Nate was the wrong man at the right moment. Their relationship was never “intense” or threatening; she felt safe because he would not subsume her identity. She realizes that this safety came at the cost of true partnership. Her view of love shifts from searching for a soulmate to wanting an equal belonging where each person maintains their own self while also belonging to each other.
How does the flashback to George’s return at age fourteen affect our understanding of their relationship?
The flashback shows that Frankie has been a source of comfort for George during his most vulnerable moments. She found him sobbing, with his hair cut short by his neglectful father, and she told him a bedtime story to calm him. This memory reinforces that their bond is rooted in mutual care, long before any romantic feelings. It also contrasts George’s past hopelessness with his present stability, making his growth more poignant.
What does George mean when he tells Frankie she has been telling herself “her own version of your mother’s story”?
George suggests that Frankie has assumed her mother resented giving up her whale biology career for marriage and motherhood. He implies that Frankie’s mother might see her life differently—perhaps as a choice made out of love, not sacrifice. By advising Frankie to ask her mother directly, he challenges her to confront whether her fear of being absorbed is based on reality or on a narrative she invented to protect herself.