Chapter 12: Kenna Faces Grace and Patrick’s Door

Spoiler notice: This page contains detailed plot points and a key confrontation from Chapter 12 of Reminders of Him. If you have not finished the chapter, proceed with caution.

Summary

Kenna arrives by taxi at the home of Grace and Patrick, the parents of her deceased boyfriend Scotty. She is about to knock and ask to see her daughter, Diem, who lives with them. While in prison, Kenna lost her parental rights; Diem was born while Kenna was incarcerated, and she has never held her. Kenna reflects on her futile attempts to find Diem online. To justify Grace’s likely hatred, she forces herself to imagine Grace’s side of the story: a mother losing her kind son in a car accident, then learning that Kenna (who was driving) fled the scene and left Scotty to crawl for help over six hours. Kenna acknowledges that begging for forgiveness may be impossible. She pays the taxi and stands alone on the opposite side of the street, trembling and unprepared for what she will say.

Key Events

Kenna recounts that she lost the custody battle for Diem before the baby was born; the judge denied visitation rights while she was in prison.
She tried to find photos of Diem online but could not locate any; all family profiles were private.
Kenna imagines herself in Grace’s shoes, from the moment of Scotty’s death to the shocking discovery that he survived for hours after the accident.
She realizes she fled the crash scene while Scotty was still alive, and that one phone call could have saved him.
Kenna arrives at the house, pays the taxi driver, and stands across the street, immobilised by anxiety.

Character Development

Kenna: Her internal monologue reveals deep self-loathing and a desperate need for forgiveness. She forces herself to empathise with Grace, showing growth in her ability to consider others’ pain. Her courage to show up despite her fear reflects a newfound determination.
Grace (off-screen): Although not present in the scene, Grace’s imagined perspective underscores her trauma and justified anger. Kenna’s own empathy highlights Grace’s role as a grieving mother, not just an antagonist.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Guilt and empathy: Kenna’s exercise of imagining Grace’s loss is a device to explore the weight of guilt and the difficulty of self-forgiveness. She cannot see herself as worthy.
Motherhood and separation: Kenna’s yearning to know Diem’s smile or laugh contrasts with the legal and emotional barrier Grace has built around the child.
The starfish toy: The rubber starfish Kenna bought at a gas station symbolises her fragile, makeshift hope—a cheap token for a daughter she has never met.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 12 marks the first direct confrontation between Kenna and the family she harmed. It strips away Kenna’s earlier justifications and forces her to see the accident entirely from Grace’s viewpoint. By making her inner preparation visceral, the chapter raises the emotional stakes for the meeting that follows. It also solidifies the central moral question of the novel: can a person be forgiven for an irreversible mistake?

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Kenna force herself to imagine Grace’s perspective in such excruciating detail?
To justify Grace’s hatred and test her own readiness to ask for forgiveness. She knows that any encounter will fail if she cannot understand exactly what Grace lost.
What does the rubber starfish toy reveal about Kenna’s state of mind?
It shows her lack of preparation and limited resources. She bought it at a gas station instead of a proper gift, underscoring her poverty and her desperation to present something—anything—to Diem.
What specific detail about the accident haunts Kenna most?
The knowledge that Scotty survived for six hours after the crash, dragging himself along gravel while Kenna slept in her bed. That she could have saved him with a single phone call.