Chapter 32: Annie — Summary, Themes, and Key Takeaways
⚠️ 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
Annie arrives at her grandmother’s assisted-living facility on an off day, hoping for guidance. She knows logically that her grandmother—who has Alzheimer’s—may not be lucid, but she clings to the hope that this visit will be different and that her grandmother will offer the wisdom she desperately needs.
The chapter opens with Annie reflecting on the past few days. She hasn’t seen Will since her date with Brandon, and she suspects he’s been hiding from her—just as she’s been hiding from him. She recounts two near-encounters: once at the market, where she ducked behind a shelf and awkwardly crawled out, and once near The Pie Shop, where they made eye contact and Will vanished. Later, they exchange texts. Annie asks if he’s avoiding her; he admits yes, and she admits the same. They both confess they miss each other. Annie acknowledges to herself that she has real, deep feelings for Will—feelings she compares to a butter cake—but she believes Will will never commit. He’s leaving soon, and she thinks the only solution is to move on and date other men, even though she’s not sure that will work.
When Annie enters her grandmother’s room, she finds her asleep in a recliner, dressed in a powder-blue silk pajama set, with Wheel of Fortune playing on the TV. The sight triggers an unexpected wave of tears. Annie begins to cry silently, overwhelmed by grief for her parents, who died when she was young. She barely remembers them, and she’s never allowed herself to grieve because she feels she didn’t know them well enough to mourn them. She also fears losing her grandmother, who has been a mother figure to her. She can’t wake her grandmother, and she feels alone and scared.
Mabel, a staff member at the facility, finds Annie crying and gently leads her to the dining room. There, Mabel asks Annie to list her top five reasons for crying. Annie confesses that she doesn’t know who she is anymore, that she resents her siblings for having memories of their parents that she lacks, that she’s crying over parents she barely knew, and that she’s fallen in love with a bodyguard who doesn’t believe in love and is leaving for good. Mabel listens and then tells Annie that she’s grieving—that grief has no timeline or rules, and that it’s okay to feel it even decades later. She points out that Annie has never allowed herself to grieve her parents, and Annie admits she didn’t think she was “allowed” to because she didn’t know them well enough.
Mabel challenges this belief, and Annie has a sudden realization: she’s been chasing the wrong things—a husband, self-discovery—when the real emptiness comes from isolating herself from her feelings. She realizes she knows who she is and what she wants, but she’s been ignoring those needs. Mabel advises Annie to be honest with her siblings about her true self, even if it feels risky, because honesty is a gift. She also tells Annie not to give up on Will, saying that he needs someone to fight for him, just as Annie needs someone to fight for her. Mabel recalls Annie’s mother, Charlotte, as a free-spirited woman who lived in the moment, and suggests that Charlotte would have told Annie to follow her heart. Mabel shares her own regret: she regrets the things she never said more than the things she did say. She urges Annie to be honest with herself and with Will, and to stop denying herself.
Annie thanks Mabel, and they exchange affectionate words. Annie leaves the facility with renewed resolve, determined to be honest with her family and to fight for Will.
Key Events
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Annie visits her grandmother’s facility on an off day, hoping for guidance.
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She reflects on avoiding Will since her date with Brandon; they text and admit they’re both hiding and miss each other.
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Annie finds her grandmother asleep and begins crying, overwhelmed by grief for her parents and fear of losing her grandmother.
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Mabel finds Annie and takes her to the dining room, where Annie lists her worries: not knowing herself, resenting siblings for memories she lacks, and falling for a bodyguard who doesn’t believe in love.
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Mabel tells Annie she is grieving and that grief has no timeline.
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Annie realizes she has been isolating herself from her feelings and chasing the wrong things.
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Mabel advises Annie to be honest with her family and not give up on Will, recalling Charlotte’s free-spirited nature.
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Annie thanks Mabel and leaves with renewed resolve.
Character Development
Annie undergoes a significant emotional breakthrough in this chapter. She moves from avoidance and self-suppression to a raw acknowledgment of her grief and a decision to be honest. Her initial instinct is to hide from Will and to push down her feelings, but the conversation with Mabel forces her to confront the root of her emptiness. She realizes that her constant focus on others’ needs—her siblings, her grandmother—has been a way to avoid her own pain. The chapter marks a turning point where she stops denying herself and commits to fighting for what she wants, both with her family and with Will.
Mabel serves as a mentor and catalyst. She is perceptive, blunt, and compassionate. She recognizes that Annie has been “overdue” for grieving and challenges Annie’s belief that she isn’t allowed to mourn. Mabel’s own vulnerability—sharing her regret about unspoken words—makes her advice credible and heartfelt. She also provides a connection to Annie’s mother, Charlotte, offering a glimpse of the woman Annie never knew.
Will is absent from the scene but looms large in Annie’s thoughts. His off-page presence reinforces the central conflict: Annie loves him but believes he won’t commit. The text exchange shows mutual avoidance and mutual longing, setting up the possibility of a future confrontation.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Grief without a timeline – Mabel’s central lesson is that grief doesn’t follow rules or schedules. Annie’s tears over parents she barely knew are valid, and Mabel’s own example—breaking down in a grocery store over a scent—normalizes unpredictable grief.
Emotional suppression and self-isolation – Annie has spent years burying her feelings to protect her siblings and herself. She admits she stopped acknowledging her sadness and focused on others instead. This suppression has left her feeling hollow and disconnected from her own identity.
Honesty as a gift – Mabel tells Annie that honesty is a gift to those who love her. Annie fears that revealing her true self will hurt her family, but Mabel insists that love requires truth. This theme extends to Annie’s relationship with Will: she must be honest with him about her feelings.
Living in the moment vs. future planning – Mabel recalls Charlotte’s free-spirited nature, emphasizing that Charlotte lived in the moment. This contrasts with Annie’s tendency to overthink and plan for a future that may not align with her heart. Mabel’s advice to “follow your heart” echoes this theme.
Fighting for love – Mabel tells Annie not to give up on Will, implying that love sometimes requires effort and risk. This theme sets up Annie’s decision to be proactive rather than passive.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is pivotal for Annie’s emotional arc. It forces her to confront the grief she has suppressed for decades and to recognize that her quest for a husband or self-discovery was a distraction from deeper pain. The conversation with Mabel provides the clarity Annie has been seeking, and it gives her the courage to be honest with her family and to fight for Will. The chapter also deepens the theme of memory and loss, as Annie grapples with not knowing her parents and the impending loss of her grandmother. Mabel’s role as a surrogate mentor fills a gap left by Annie’s absent mother, and her advice will likely drive the novel’s climax.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Annie cry when she sees her grandmother asleep, and what does this reveal about her emotional state?
Annie cries because the sight of her grandmother—dressed impeccably even in sleep—triggers a wave of grief for her parents, whom she barely remembers, and fear of losing her grandmother, who has been a mother figure. This reveals that Annie has been suppressing her grief for years, and the vulnerability of the moment breaks through her defenses. It also shows that she feels isolated in her pain, unable to share it with her siblings or Will.
2. What does Mabel mean when she says, “Honesty is a gift,” and how does this apply to Annie’s relationships?
Mabel means that being truthful about one’s feelings and struggles is an act of love, even if it’s difficult. For Annie, this applies to her siblings: she has hidden her true self to avoid burdening them, but Mabel argues that they love her enough to handle the truth. It also applies to Will: Annie must be honest about her feelings for him rather than pretending she can move on. Honesty, in Mabel’s view, is the foundation for genuine connection.
3. How does Annie’s realization about “chasing the wrong things” change her understanding of her own needs?
Annie realizes that her emptiness isn’t about needing a husband or finding herself—it’s about isolating herself from her feelings. She has been ignoring her own needs by focusing on others. This realization shifts her perspective: she knows who she is and what she wants, but she has been denying it. It empowers her to stop running from her grief and to be honest about her love for Will, rather than trying to suppress it.