Chapter Twenty-Five Summary – The Au Pair Affair
⚠️ 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 Tallulah in a hot air balloon over New Hampshire, releasing tear tracks that dry in the wind. These aren’t devastation tears but ones of appreciation for the world below. She reflects on keeping a promise to herself to stop hiding: she danced, skinny-dipped, made friends, and took a chance on love. Though her heart was shattered, she realizes she survived. She thinks about Burgess’s accusation of cowardice and decides to call her family in Istanbul. Before calling, she lets go of her collection of postcards over the side of the balloon. The conversation with her sister Lara goes well; Tallulah says she is going to be fine.
Five weeks later, Tallulah is at a resort in Costa Rica for the wedding of Josephine and Wells. She is in the bridal party alongside Burgess, her ex-boyfriend and boss. Chloe and Sig are also there. Tallulah believes she is over Burgess, but seeing him at reception makes her heart swan dive. Burgess looks healthy and muscular, though his eyes are hollow. He greets her and says she looks beautiful. Sig waves him over. Burgess admits his back is fixed but adds “there’s a lot left to be repaired.” Tallulah offers a “forgive and forget” handshake; he refuses to forget a single minute of her.
The wedding coordinator, Carlos, gives them itineraries. Tallulah and Burgess both immediately sign up for sunrise zip-lining and cliff diving, surprising each other. Chloe and Sig opt out. Sig notes that Burgess is ready for a fight. Tallulah fears that if Burgess is determined to prove they aren’t so different by thrill-seeking, her revenge dresses might end up on his floor.
Key Events
- Tallulah releases postcards from a hot air balloon as a symbol of letting go.
- She calls her family in Istanbul and reconnects with her sister Lara.
- Five weeks later she arrives in Costa Rica for a wedding and meets Burgess in the resort lobby.
- Burgess appears physically healed but emotionally raw; he expresses regret.
- Both sign up for extreme activities (zip-lining, cliff diving) the next morning.
- Chloe and Sig observe the tension; Sig predicts Burgess will fight for Tallulah.
Character Development
Tallulah grows significantly: she moves from hiding in safe labs to confronting her fears, releasing the postcards, and re-establishing contact with family. Meeting Burgess again tests her newfound steel; she wavers but resolves to protect herself.
Burgess shows change: his back is healed, and he actively pursues adventure activities he previously avoided. His hollow eyes reveal his suffering, and his direct confession—he can’t forget her—shows vulnerability.
Chloe and Sig provide grounding support, with Chloe teasing about “revenge dresses” and Sig acknowledging Burgess’s fighting nature.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Letting go – The postcards drifting away symbolize Tallulah releasing her crutches and emotional baggage.
- Adventure vs. safety – The hot air balloon, zip-lining, and cliff diving represent Tallulah’s life philosophy; Burgess’s willingness to join signals a shift in his character.
- Healing wounds – Physical (Burgess’s back) and emotional (both characters’ heartbreak) are paralleled. Surgery and rehab fixed his back, but he acknowledges “a lot left to be repaired.”
- Reunion and second chances – The wedding setting forces the exes together; their simultaneous interest in extreme activities hints at renewed compatibility.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter marks the turning point after the fallout in Pittsburgh. Tallulah completes her internal journey toward self-reliance and reconnection with her family. The encounter with Burgess sets up the final arc: will they reconcile? His commitment to change and her cautious hope create suspense for the wedding weekend.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Tallulah release the postcards from the hot air balloon?
She used the postcards as a safety net to avoid direct communication with her family. Letting them go symbolizes her decision to stop hiding and be vulnerable, which she proves by immediately calling Istanbul.
2. What does Burgess mean when he says, “Surgery and rehab fixed my back. But there’s a lot left to be repaired”?
He is acknowledging that while his physical injury has healed, his emotional damage—specifically the way he treated Tallulah in the hospital—still needs mending. He is signaling regret and a desire to make amends.
3. How does Tallulah’s internal conflict show when she first sees Burgess?
She claims to be over him and unrattled, but her heart “swan dives,” her legs shake, and she feels warm and alive for the first time in weeks. This contradiction reveals she still deeply cares, despite her steel breastplate of resolve.