Chapter 26: Ada — Summary and Analysis

⚠️ 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

Ryder Day begins with Ada and Wes reluctantly leaving bed. Wes offers to be present if Ada wants to return her ex-husband Chance's call, but Ada declines. She feels nothing toward him—an indifferent nothing, not a hurt one. The closure she built for herself over the past year matters more than anything Chance could offer now.

In the kitchen, Ada asks Amos what inspired him to create his own holiday. He reveals she's the first person to ever ask. Ryder Day was Stella's idea—his late wife's way of celebrating their family and the ranch that took care of them. He contrasts this with his own father's Ranchers Day, which was merely a day off from an unkind man. When Amos inherited Rebel Blue, he decided to do things differently. He tells Ada she's part of Rebel Blue now, and the words burrow into her heart. She reflects on a lifetime of feeling like she belonged elsewhere—and wonders if she was homesick for Rebel Blue before she knew it existed.

Ada and Emmy set up the outdoor table while country music plays. Ada jokes about the music requirement, insisting she won't convert—though she admits some songs are catchy. Teddy arrives with her father Hank, who uses a wheelchair and carries a guitar and cane. He's covered in tattoos and wears a vintage band shirt. Hank immediately teases Ada, calling her the one Wes is smitten with. Wes arrives and confirms it, kissing her temple in front of everyone. Gus brings Riley, who greets Ada by her full name. Gus mentions Cam couldn't attend and didn't sound well; he's worried. Teddy's usual sarcasm softens into genuine concern.

The family shares an abundant dinner. Wes keeps a hand on Ada's thigh throughout, which Emmy notices. Ada tries not to think about Emmy's earlier warning about treating Wes like a final destination. Nothing about Wes feels temporary, but she can't shake the feeling that this isn't permanent.

After dinner, the group moves to the fire pit for s'mores. Hank plays a soft, wistful song on guitar, and Ada's throat tightens. She can almost see a future by this fire with Wes and this family, but the vision makes her heart ache. Overwhelmed, she claims illness and retreats inside.

She ends up in Wes's room instead of her own. There, she finds his sketchbook on the bed. Flipping through it, she discovers page after page of roses, thorns, and leaves—beautifully shaded, sometimes vividly colored. The drawings look familiar, and when she reaches a sketch of an arm and shoulder covered in the same imagery, she realizes why: they're her tattoos.

Wes finds her. She reveals the Arizona job offer and tries to end things, calling their relationship temporary. Wes refuses to be pushed away. He tells her he's proud of her and wants her to take the job, but he won't let distance take her from him. He lists the small things he knows about her—cold hands and feet, weekend naps, sour candy, her dislike of repeating herself, and her secret love of country music. When she insists these are tiny things, he counters that the little things are the big things.

Ada protests that she's not the woman for him. Wes responds with the moon and tides metaphor: he'd rather have the moon than the sun, and she pulls him in without trying. He asks her to be honest about whether she wants him. She nods, and he asks her to agree they owe it to each other to try. She says okay, and they reconcile. That night, she lets herself believe things could work out.

Key Events

Ada declines to return Chance's call, feeling indifferent rather than hurt
Amos reveals Ryder Day's origin as Stella's idea and tells Ada she's part of Rebel Blue
Hank arrives and teases Ada about Wes's feelings; Wes confirms them publicly
Cam's absence raises concern among Gus and Teddy
Ada retreats from the fire pit, overwhelmed by the future she can almost see
She discovers Wes's sketchbook filled with drawings of her tattoos
Ada reveals the Arizona job offer and attempts to end things; Wes refuses, and they agree to try long-distance

Character Development

Ada reaches a turning point. Her indifference toward Chance marks a departure from the woman who once sought closure from him. Her sense of belonging crystallizes when Amos tells her she's part of the family. But her instinct to run remains strong. When the future she wants becomes visible, she flees, and her attempt to push Wes away reveals her fear of vulnerability and her belief that she isn't warm or bright enough for him. Her agreement to try represents a genuine shift: she chooses to stay rather than run.

Wes demonstrates commitment through action. He offers to support Ada through the Chance call, confirms his feelings publicly, and refuses to let her push him away. His knowledge of her small preferences—cold hands, sour candy, weekend naps—shows he's been paying attention. His moon and tides speech reframes her self-perception: he doesn't need her to be the sun; he wants her as she is.

Amos reveals the emotional foundation of Ryder Day. His devotion to Stella's memory and his deliberate choice to be a different kind of father than his own explain why his children turned out the way they did.

Gus shows a softer side, expressing genuine worry about Cam and accepting Teddy's brief gesture of comfort.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Closure vs. indifference: Ada's reaction to Chance's call shows she no longer needs external validation from her past. The indifferent nothing she feels is the opposite of the charged emotions she feels for Wes.

Belonging and homesickness: Ada's reflection that she was homesick for Rebel Blue before she knew it existed reframes her lifelong sense of displacement.

Temporary vs. permanent: Ada's insistence that her relationship with Wes is temporary collides with her feeling that nothing about him feels temporary. The Arizona job offer represents the permanence she's been building.

Moon and tides metaphor: Wes's declaration that he'd rather have the moon than the sun reframes Ada's self-perception. He's drawn to her gravitational pull, not her warmth. The metaphor suggests a natural, inevitable connection.

Sketchbook as symbol: Wes's sketchbook, filled with drawings of Ada's tattoos, represents his private devotion. He's been studying her and rendering her in art.

Little things are big things: Wes's list of small observations becomes his argument for knowing her. The chapter asserts that intimacy is built from tiny details.

Running as avoidance: Ada's retreat from the fire pit and her attempt to end the relationship are both forms of running. She flees the future she can almost see.

Why This Chapter Matters

This is the emotional climax of Ada and Wes's relationship. The chapter brings together Ada's unresolved feelings about her divorce, her growing sense of belonging at Rebel Blue, and the Arizona job offer that threatens to end everything. The sketchbook discovery forces Ada to confront the depth of Wes's feelings, and her attempt to push him away reveals her fears about her own worth. Wes's refusal to let her go transforms the relationship into a committed partnership. The chapter also deepens the family portrait, showing how Ryder Day's origin in Stella's love shapes the Ryders' values.

Study Questions

1. Why does Ada decline to call Chance back, and what does this reveal about her emotional growth?

Ada's decision shows she no longer needs closure from her ex-husband. The closure she established for herself over the past year matters more than anything he could offer. Her indifferent nothing toward him contrasts sharply with the overwhelming feelings she has for Wes.

2. How does the sketchbook scene function as a turning point in the chapter?

The sketchbook forces Ada to confront the depth of Wes's feelings in a way she can't dismiss. The drawings of her tattoos—rendered repeatedly, in detail, sometimes in color—show that he's been studying her privately. This discovery comes right after she's tried to retreat from the family gathering, and it prevents her from maintaining the fiction that their relationship is casual or temporary.

3. What does the moon and tides metaphor reveal about Wes's understanding of Ada?

Wes's metaphor reframes Ada's self-perception. When she insists she's not warm or bright enough for him, he responds that he never asked her to be the sun—he'd rather have the moon. The metaphor suggests he's drawn to her gravitational pull, not her warmth. It implies a natural, inevitable connection: the tides come to the moon willingly. This reframing breaks through her defenses.