Chapter summaries Say You'll Remember Me Abby Jimenez

Chapter 40 Summary: Xavier’s Helplessness and the Bonded Pair

⚠️ Spoiler Notice
This summary covers Chapter 40 of Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez. If you haven’t read the chapter, proceed with caution.

Summary (Complete and Chronological)

The day after the funeral, Xavier is back in Minnesota at the vet clinic, helping Maggie with a blood draw from a lethargic senior dog. He talks to Samantha on the phone. She updates him on the nursing home decision—they’ll try part-time home care and a sleeping pill, as discussed. Samantha mentions that Tristan was right about Xavier being obsessed with her, and Xavier jokingly agrees.

Samantha is nervous about being alone with her mother for the first time since the funeral. Xavier advises her to put food out when in doubt, a trick that works. They discuss her father dating; she is beyond judging how anyone copes.

After hanging up, Xavier feels a strong homing pull toward Samantha and her family. The empty apartment and solitary meals feel wrong. He compares himself to the distressed senior dog in the clinic—both in cages, though Xavier’s is self-made.

Hank, the new employee, arrives and asks about the day’s cases. When Xavier mentions a Lab that ate a Christmas bulb, Hank suggests an old trick: cream-soaked bread balls to gather glass if the bulb is broken. Hank also notices two Dalmatians in separate kennels and recommends keeping bonded pairs together for less stress, saying “bonded pairs suffer apart.” Xavier absorbs this.

His phone buzzes—Samantha calls back. She tells him she was just fired. Murkle’s consolidated marketing teams and cut her after four years. She is inconsolable. Xavier calms her, advice to put on headphones and walk the backyard, making a calming playlist. Lisa keeps asking where her mom is, and Samantha’s distress grows. Xavier sends the playlist, orders her favorite iced coffee, and texts the family group chat (minus Samantha) asking if anyone can get home early. Tristan replies that he can.

Xavier unfollows Murkle’s Instagram after seeing her last post. He feels utterly helpless, unable to be there physically. The chapter ends with his thought: “We were a bonded pair, separated by cages two thousand miles apart.”

Key Events

  • Xavier finishes the blood draw on a lethargic senior dog and talks to Samantha about the home care plan.
  • Samantha mentions Tristan’s comment that Xavier is obsessed with her; Xavier jokes about it.
  • Hank arrives and offers practical advice for treating a Lab that ate a Christmas bulb.
  • Hank recommends keeping bonded dog pairs together, which resonates with Xavier.
  • Samantha calls back to say she has been fired from Murkle’s with three months’ severance.
  • Xavier guides Samantha to take a mindful walk in the yard and sends her a calming playlist.
  • He orders iced coffee for her and texts the family group chat for help.
  • Xavier unfollows Murkle’s Instagram.
  • He reflects on the painful distance between them, feeling like a bonded pair separated by cages.

Character Development

Xavier shows deepening attachment and helplessness. His “homing response” to Samantha intensifies, and he admits his self-made cage. He uses practical support (playlist, coffee, text) when physical presence is impossible, revealing his resourcefulness and care. The bonded-pair comment from Hank crystallizes his emotional state.

Samantha is at a low point: grieving her grandmother, now unemployed, alone with her mother’s repetitive questions. Her vulnerability allows Xavier to step into a grounding role, though he cannot fix the situation.

Hank serves as a mentor figure, offering wisdom about animal care that doubles as relationship insight.

Tristan remains a reliable presence; Xavier texts him knowing his blunt style might help Samantha.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs Actually Evidenced Here

  • Bonded Pairs / Cages: The kennel’s bonded-pair rule becomes a metaphor for Xavier and Samantha’s relationship. Xavier sees himself and Samantha as a bonded pair suffering because they are separated by distance (cages). The senior dog whining in its kennel mirrors Xavier’s own longing to be home with his ‘people.’

  • Helplessness and Distance: The vast geography (Minnesota vs. California) and Xavier’s empty savings make him feel powerless. He cannot hold her or fix the job loss—only offer small gestures.

  • Practical Caregiving: Xavier’s advice to “put food out” for Samantha’s mom reflects the same calm, step‑by‑step approach he applies to Samantha’s crisis. The oxygen‑mask metaphor (“put the oxygen mask on yourself first”) emphasizes self‑care before caregiving.

  • Weather as Emotional Contrast: The minus‑eighteen Minnesota cold contrasts with the seventy‑one degrees in California, underlining the emotional warmth Samantha provides and the chill Xavier feels without her.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter solidifies the central conflict of the novel: the seemingly impossible distance between Xavier and Samantha, both physically and circumstantially. Samantha’s firing adds a new crisis right after the funeral, testing their bond. Xavier’s recognition that he is in a “cage” he built himself hints at his internal struggle over commitment and sacrifice. Hank’s advice about bonded pairs foreshadows the need for Xavier to choose a different kind of cage—one that keeps the pair together. The chapter deepens the emotional stakes and sets up a turning point where Xavier may reconsider his self‑imposed limitations.

Study Questions

  1. What does Hank’s advice about bonded dog pairs reveal about Xavier’s situation?
    Answer: Hank says bonded pairs suffer apart and are happier together. Xavier immediately applies this to himself and Samantha. It reinforces his feelings of distress when separated and suggests that their relationship cannot thrive at a distance.

  2. How does Xavier support Samantha after she is fired, despite being two thousand miles away?
    Answer: He walks her through a calming routine (backyard walk, playlist), orders her favorite iced coffee, and texts the family chat to arrange someone to be with her. He also unfollows Murkle’s Instagram. These small but thoughtful actions show his devotion while highlighting his frustration at not being able to do more.

  3. What does the “cage” metaphor mean for Xavier in this chapter?
    Answer: The cage is the physical and logistical separation between him and Samantha. He calls it “self‑made,” implying he could choose to close the distance but has not yet made that decision. The metaphor also links to the kennel dogs—Xavier feels trapped by his own choices (savings, job, apartment) and the geographical reality.

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