Chapter 12 Summary, Analysis, and Study Guide

⚠️ 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

The chapter opens with Amy reflecting on her mother's long-standing plans for her wedding, including a specific wedding planner. Lorraine pressures Amy about marrying Marc, insisting there's no right time and that Amy won't do better than him. At a brunch introducing Marc to her mother, Lorraine gifts him tortoise-and-hare cuff links, which Amy finds manipulative. Marc finds the gesture charming, and Amy is upset by his response.

Marc then reveals his own family history: his mother abandoned the family when he was eight, leaving for San Francisco with another librarian. His father hid the truth and refused to let her visit. Marc's brother modeled anger, and Marc threw away his mother's cards and gifts. His brother warmed TV dinners for them both while their father retreated. Marc worked two part-time jobs, graduated early, and left for Princeton.

Meanwhile, Hunter reports that Ollie has disappeared again. Amy tells him Ollie is likely manic depressive, explaining that Ollie's leaving isn't personal. Hunter is devastated, calling Ollie a harsh name before apologizing. Amy pleads with him not to give up on her.

Amy moves in with Marc, packing up her apartment and finding her childhood box of treasures and the dream catcher. She continues therapy with Paul, who urges her to discuss her sister. Amy fears the real me emerging—the friendless girl from her past.

Marc and Amy become engaged on their one-year anniversary. Courtney agrees to be maid of honor, and Kira, who confesses to a pill overdose after learning Ari's parents are arranging a new marriage, accepts a bridesmaid role. At the engagement party at the Princeton Club, Ollie and Hunter attend without incident. Marc is made junior partner and Amy is promoted to full editor. As the wedding approaches, Amy grows increasingly anxious, though the six months before the wedding are the happiest of their relationship.

Key Events

Lorraine gifts Marc tortoise-and-hare cuff links at brunch
Marc reveals his mother abandoned his family when he was eight
Hunter reports Ollie's disappearance; Amy tells him she's likely manic depressive
Amy moves in with Marc and packs up her apartment
Paul urges Amy to discuss her sister in therapy
Marc and Amy get engaged on their one-year anniversary
Kira confesses to a pill overdose
Engagement party at the Princeton Club; Ollie and Hunter attend without incident
Marc made junior partner; Amy promoted to full editor
Amy's anxiety grows as the wedding approaches

Character Development

Amy: Continues to navigate her relationship with Marc while wrestling with her past self. She fears the friendless girl she once was will emerge. Her therapy with Paul pushes her toward confronting her sister's role in her life. She's anxious about the wedding despite the happiness of the engagement period.

Marc: Reveals his own family trauma—his mother's abandonment—but frames it as something to get over. His pragmatic philosophy contrasts with Amy's ongoing struggle. He's confident, loving, and supportive, but doesn't fully understand Amy's need for therapy.

Ollie: Disappears again, then returns to Hunter's life. She's on good behavior at the engagement party, and the meeting with Marc is a nonevent. Her pattern of leaving and returning continues.

Hunter: Devastated by Ollie's disappearance, he eventually accepts her return on her terms. Amy notes he's become one of us—someone who endures Ollie's cycles.

Kira: Reveals her overdose after Ari's remarriage arrangements. She frames it as a cry for help no one heard.

Lorraine: Continues her controlling behavior, pressuring Amy about marriage and gifting Marc cuff links.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Tortoise and hare: The cuff links symbolize the race between steady progress and erratic brilliance—Marc as the tortoise, Ollie as the hare. Amy's mother's gift carries an implicit judgment about which approach wins.

The winners philosophy: At the Princeton Club, Marc's friend asserts that the person with the most money at the end of their life wins. Amy answers money to pass an unspoken test, but the question lingers.

The leaving-and-returning cycle: Ollie's pattern of disappearance and return is central. Amy tells Hunter she always comes back, and Hunter eventually becomes part of the family's acceptance of this cycle.

The almost time: The six months before the wedding are described as the happiest of Amy and Marc's relationship—a period of anticipation and possibility.

Identity transformation and fear of the past self: Amy fears the real me will emerge—the friendless girl who played alone. She's desperate to shed her past self.

Maternal manipulation and control: Lorraine's gift, her pressure about marriage, and her control over wedding details all demonstrate her need to manage Amy's life.

Suicide attempt and cry for help: Kira's overdose is framed as a cry for help that no one heard.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter marks a significant turning point in Amy's life: her engagement to Marc, her move into his apartment, and the beginning of their wedding planning. It also deepens our understanding of Marc's own family trauma, which parallels Amy's in some ways—both have complicated family histories. The chapter introduces the almost time concept, a period of happiness that Amy will later look back on. It also shows Ollie's continued pattern of leaving and returning, and Hunter's acceptance of that cycle. The chapter sets up the wedding as a source of anxiety for Amy, foreshadowing potential complications.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does Marc's revelation about his mother's abandonment shape our understanding of his character?

Marc's mother left when he was eight, and his father hid the truth and refused to let her visit. Marc threw away her cards and gifts, imitating his older brother's anger. He worked two part-time jobs, graduated early, and left for Princeton. This history explains his pragmatic philosophy—that parents are flawed and you have to move past it—and his belief that dwelling on the past is pointless. It also contrasts with Amy's ongoing struggle with her own family, highlighting their different approaches to processing trauma.

2. What does the tortoise-and-hare cuff links gift reveal about Lorraine and Amy's relationship?

Lorraine's gift of tortoise-and-hare cuff links to Marc is a manipulative gesture. Amy immediately reads it as controlling, while Marc finds it charming. The gift also carries symbolic weight: the tortoise and hare represent different approaches to life—steady persistence versus erratic brilliance. Lorraine's question about which Marc is suggests she's assessing his suitability, and Amy's reaction reveals her sensitivity to her mother's manipulation.

3. Why does Amy tell Hunter that Ollie is manic depressive, and what does this reveal about the family's understanding of Ollie's illness?

Amy tells Hunter that Ollie is likely manic depressive after Ollie disappears again. She explains that Ollie's leaving isn't personal, and that it's hard to separate the person from the illness. This reveals that the family has come to understand Ollie's behavior as symptomatic of a mental illness, even though Ollie has never been properly evaluated. Amy's plea to Hunter—not to give up on her—shows her continued investment in her sister despite the difficulty.