Chapter 26 Summary: TWENTY-THREE

⚠️ 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 Sage riding the bus home from work, noticing the large posters of Elias (and his teammate, number twenty-two) on bus stands—an odd reality she's still adjusting to. She spends the ride on the phone with Elias's mother, Jane Westbrook, who tells her about a recent trip to Paris where she and her husband attended the ballet, a choice Jane credits to Sage's influence.

As Sage walks toward the apartment, her brother Sean video-calls her. He asks if he can spend his midsemester reading break at a friend's house, and Sage immediately agrees, listing the usual rules: friends' names, parents' numbers, the address, and a nightly check-in call. Sean hesitates, then reveals the trip falls on the twenty-eighth—the day he was supposed to head out so they could celebrate Sage's birthday. Sage's heart twists, but she insists he go, saying they'll celebrate after his semester ends. She ends the call quickly, hiding her hurt.

Alone on the sidewalk, Sage reflects on the last time she spent her birthday alone: before Sean was born, when her parents left her home to do God knows what. She remembers hating birthdays until she and Sean left that house and made them special again. She feels a deep pit of betrayal but can't blame Sean for wanting to be with friends.

Back at the apartment, Sage walks past Elias's friends laughing in the dining room and locks herself in the main bathroom, where she cries. Elias knocks, asks her to open the door, and when she does, he steps inside, locks the door, and gently wipes her tears with a warm towel. He tells her she doesn't have to talk, but he'll listen whenever she's ready. When she says she can't talk, he offers to talk instead—a rarity for him.

Elias reveals he is adopted. The Westbrooks took him in as a kid, and he looks exactly like his biological father, with whom he shares a name—which is why everyone calls him Eli. Sage winces, remembering she's called him Elias since they met, but he says he likes it when she says it. He tells her, simply, that he likes her.

Sage then opens up about her childhood: her mother turned every complaint into a competition, her parents fought constantly, and ballet became her escape—a few hours away from the house each week. She felt powerless, like she was too much yet never enough. She carried the weight of caring for Sean and keeping them out of the pit her parents dug. Lately, she says, it feels like she's still there.

Elias responds with fierce reassurance: Sean is in a great school, Sage has won awards and done showcases, and she's about to audition for one of the most prestigious theaters in the world. He tells her she's far from stuck, that her parents abandoned their children and left a kid to take care of a kid, and that she persevered into a strong, capable, beautiful woman. Sage, overwhelmed, says he's good at pep talks. She reflects that her whole life she's been the one taking the lead, and even the illusion of someone carrying the weight for her loosens the knot in her stomach.

They rejoin his friends for dinner. Later, Sage and Summer retire to the balcony to watch the sunset. Summer says Elias will always make sure the people he loves are cared for, and this time Sage doesn't correct her—she wants to be included in that category, even if she knows it's not true. Aiden calls Summer back inside.

Kian steps onto the balcony, sits beside Sage, and offers her a pink-frosted cupcake. They sit in comfortable silence. Kian tells her that sometimes it takes time to realize there are people who want to help without wanting anything in return. Sage whispers that sometimes it isn't so easy. Kian replies that people show you who they are quickly; it's up to you to decide if you want to trust them. He says he thinks they're going to be great friends, and Sage agrees. The chapter ends with Sage's internal note to herself: Let the light in.

Key Events

Sage talks with Elias's mother on the phone; Jane credits Sage for inspiring their recent ballet trip in Paris.
Sean video-calls and asks to spend his reading break with friends on Sage's birthday; she agrees despite feeling hurt.
Sage reflects on the last birthday she spent alone, before Sean was born, when her parents left her.
Sage hides in the bathroom and cries; Elias finds her, comforts her, and reveals he is adopted and shares his biological father's name.
Sage explains her difficult childhood, her mother's emotional competition, and ballet as her escape.
Elias reassures Sage that she is strong, capable, and far from stuck.
Sage and Summer talk on the balcony; Summer says Elias cares for the people he loves.
Kian sits with Sage, offers a cupcake, and they discuss trust and friendship.
Sage ends the chapter with the note: Let the light in.

Character Development

Sage shows significant vulnerability in this chapter. She allows Elias to see her cry, admits she can't talk, and shares painful details about her childhood—something she's rarely done. Her internal reflection reveals how deeply she carries the weight of caretaking for Sean and how much she suppresses her own needs. By the end, she's beginning to accept that others might want to help her without expecting anything in return, and she's willing to let light in.

Elias reveals a major piece of his past: he is adopted and shares his biological father's name, which is why he goes by Eli. He also demonstrates emotional attentiveness, gently wiping Sage's tears and offering to talk when she can't. His reassurance is both fierce and tender, showing a side of him that Sage hasn't seen before.

Sean shows growth as a young man making his own social connections, but he also demonstrates care for Sage by offering to cancel his plans when he realizes the date conflicts with her birthday.

Kian emerges as a thoughtful, observant friend. He notices Sage's distress, offers her a cupcake, and shares quiet wisdom about trust and friendship, establishing himself as a supportive presence in her life.

Summer reinforces the theme of found family by affirming that Elias will always care for the people he loves, and she offers Sage a moment of quiet companionship on the balcony.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Abandonment and parental neglect are central. Sage's memory of being left alone on her birthday before Sean was born, and her mother's habit of turning every complaint into a competition, show the emotional neglect she endured. Elias's adoption also touches on abandonment, though his experience is framed as a rescue by the Westbrooks.

Caretaking responsibility is a heavy burden Sage carries. She raised Sean, managed school and home life, and still feels responsible for his happiness. Her willingness to let Sean go on his birthday trip, despite her hurt, shows how deeply this role is ingrained in her.

Emotional suppression and vulnerability are explored through Sage's tears and her admission that she wasn't allowed to feel as a child. Elias's gentle encouragement to open the door and talk represents a safe space for vulnerability.

Trust and found family are developed through Kian's conversation about deciding who to trust, Summer's affirmation of Elias's care, and Sage's growing sense of belonging with Elias's friends.

Ballet as escape is explicitly referenced: Sage joined ballet to get out of the house a few times a week, and it became her lifeline.

The power of listening is embodied by Elias, who offers to listen without pressure and then shares his own story when Sage can't speak.

Letting go of control is symbolized by Sage's note to herself to let the light in—a conscious decision to accept help and connection rather than always leading alone.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point for Sage's emotional arc. It's the first time she fully lets Elias see her vulnerability, and his response—gentle, patient, and affirming—challenges her belief that she must carry everything alone. Elias's revelation about his adoption deepens their connection and shows that he trusts her with his own painful history. The chapter also establishes Kian as a meaningful friend and reinforces the theme of found family, as Sage begins to see Elias's friends as her own. The final note, Let the light in, signals a shift in Sage's mindset, setting up her emotional growth for the rest of the novel.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Sage agree to let Sean spend his reading break with friends on her birthday, even though it clearly hurts her?

Sage agrees because she doesn't want Sean to experience the loneliness she felt as a child. She's spent her life making his birthdays special and protecting him from the pain she endured. She also recognizes that it's normal for a teenager to want to spend time with friends, and she'd rather see him happy than burden him with her own feelings. Her decision reflects her deep caretaking instinct and her fear of being a burden to others.

2. How does Elias's revelation about being adopted change the dynamic between him and Sage?

Elias sharing that he's adopted and that he shares his biological father's name is a rare act of trust. He's been a private person, and this disclosure shows Sage that he's willing to be vulnerable with her. It also humanizes him and creates a parallel between their experiences of family and identity. Sage's reaction—wincing at having called him Elias—shows she's attentive to his feelings, and his reassurance that he likes it when she says his name deepens their intimacy.

3. What does Kian's conversation with Sage reveal about her emotional state and her potential for growth?

Kian's quiet presence and his words about trusting people who want to help without expecting anything in return resonate with Sage because she's spent her life feeling like she has to earn care or that help comes with strings attached. Her admission that it isn't easy shows she's still guarded, but her willingness to sit with him and accept the cupcake—and her internal note to let the light in—indicate she's opening up to the possibility of connection and support.