Chapter 23 (2001): 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

It is 2001, and Ryan has been sober for twenty months. The past year has included hard conversations, soft kisses, raised voices, lowered expectations, therapy sessions, and tears of both hurt and hope—but no alcohol. Lillian and Ryan still live in separate apartments, though Lillian suspects that arrangement may not last much longer. Most evenings Ryan comes over for dinner, and both Lillian and Jet want him around.

Lillian reflects on how Ryan’s affection makes her feel as young as Jet. She is surprised to look in the mirror and see the sagging and softness of age; she no longer menstruates, yet she still feels butterflies for the man she loves. She thinks about how time and bodies are strange—what fades and what does not. She recalls a memory of being in a bungalow with a blue ceiling, smelling the sea, and feeling that they are at the beginning, where anything can be what they want.

Jet, now fourteen, asks Lillian what she was like at the same age. Lillian remembers that when Jet was younger, she asked endless questions about Lillian’s childhood, earning the nickname “Curious Georgette,” which led to a yellow construction-paper hat and a mother-daughter Halloween costume. Now Jet still has questions.

Lillian tells Jet about her childhood best friend, Lisa Ballard. They were inseparable—sleepovers on weekends, study sessions on school days—until Susan O’Malley invited Lisa to a party but not Lillian. Soon Lisa began imitating Susan: wearing the same shoes, using the same words, parting her hair the same way. Lisa made excuses to avoid Lillian and finally asked her to leave her alone, saying “please” with a red face. Lillian went home and sobbed.

Her mother, Georgia Wright, called her outside. In the drizzling backyard, Georgia had Lillian choose a tree. Lillian chose the magnolia. Georgia pulled out a pocketknife and carved “GW + LW” into the bark, struggling with the G. She then sat beside Lillian and explained that there would be other Lisas, that Lillian did not need everyone, only some people. Georgia pointed to the initials and said that was where Lillian started—Georgia Wright and Lillian Wright, first love. She said there is something permanent about where you start, and that beginnings are not blank canvases. She told Lillian that she was the first person Lillian needed but not the only or the last, and that Lillian could not control others’ choices but could start with what she was given and make her own. As they walked back, Georgia gave Lillian a peppermint, a comfort ritual she had used for as long as Lillian could remember.

Lillian lost track of Lisa Ballard; she later heard Lisa became a social worker and a mother. Lillian reflects that she chose to need other people, and that her relationship with Ryan was one of many possible choices—it could have been Lillian and anyone. Love, she thinks, is time shared, and we make our choices. She looks at Jet and answers her question: “I was a lot like you. Delicate. Loyal.” Jet scrunches her nose at the implication that she is delicate, and Lillian playfully runs her finger down Jet’s nose.

Shauna arrives for a Saturday lunch to review Lillian’s matron-of-honor duties for her wedding to Michael. The wedding has been planned over nearly two years, delayed by their medical careers—MRI results, medication protocols, vital signs, on-call weekends—and by Kendi’s student council meetings and science projects, and by Shauna’s race to keep up with how fast a teenage boy outgrows his shoes. But the date is finally set.

Before leaving, Lillian pops an Advil for a headache and peeks into Jet’s room. Jet has headphones on and is writing a paper. Lillian asks what she and Kendi are up to; Jet says she has no clue what he is doing but is writing a paper. Lillian suspects something is going on between Jet and Kendi but does not want to pry. She simply says good luck with the paper, makes a kiss sound, and adds, “Keep your friends close, love.” Jet puts her headphones back on.

Key Events

Ryan has been sober for twenty months; the couple still lives apart but shares most dinners.
Lillian reflects on aging and her unchanged feelings for Ryan.
Jet asks Lillian what she was like at fourteen, prompting a long memory.
Lillian recounts her childhood friendship with Lisa Ballard and its painful end.
Georgia Wright comforts Lillian by carving their initials into a magnolia tree and delivering a lesson about beginnings and choice.
Lillian reveals she lost track of Lisa and that she chose to need other people.
Shauna arrives to discuss matron-of-honor duties for her wedding to Michael, now finally scheduled.
Lillian notices something between Jet and Kendi but refrains from asking.

Character Development

Lillian shows a mature acceptance of her past and her choices. She no longer sees her childhood heartbreak as a defining wound but as one of many possible beginnings. Her reflection that “it could have been Lillian and anyone” reveals a quiet agency—she understands that love is built through shared time and deliberate choice. Her tenderness toward Jet, both in answering her question and in resisting the urge to pry about Kendi, shows a mother who respects her daughter’s boundaries while still offering guidance.

Jet is now fourteen, old enough to ask deeper questions about her mother’s past. Her reaction to being called “delicate”—scrunching her nose—shows a teenager asserting her own identity. The chapter hints at a developing relationship with Kendi, but Jet keeps it private, and Lillian respects that.

Georgia Wright, though present only in memory, looms large. Her comfort ritual—the peppermint, the tree carving, the direct speech—shapes Lillian’s understanding of love and loss. The lesson that “beginnings aren’t blank canvases” becomes a guiding principle for Lillian’s own life.

Ryan appears mostly through Lillian’s reflections. His sobriety is stable, and his presence in the household is welcomed by both Lillian and Jet. The chapter suggests their relationship is deepening, though they still maintain separate apartments.

Shauna is a secondary presence, but her wedding planning—delayed by demanding medical careers—mirrors the theme of time passing and choices made. Her friendship with Lillian is steady, a counterpoint to the childhood friendship that ended.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Beginnings are relative: Jet’s question prompts Lillian to revisit her own beginning at fourteen. Lillian realizes that beginnings are not fixed; they can be reimagined. The bungalow with the blue ceiling represents a fresh start with Ryan, but Lillian understands that even that beginning is one of many.
Permanence of origins: Georgia’s carving of “GW + LW” into the magnolia symbolizes the idea that where you start leaves a permanent mark. The initials are a physical reminder of first love and first need, even as life moves on.
Selective need: Georgia’s advice—“you don’t need everyone”—becomes a life philosophy for Lillian. She learns to choose whom to need, rather than being devastated by those who leave.
Love as time shared: Lillian’s reflection that “love is time shared” ties her relationship with Ryan to the hours they spend together, not to grand gestures. This echoes the chapter’s quiet domestic scenes.
Aging and changing bodies: Lillian’s observation about sagging skin and the cessation of menstruation contrasts with the persistent flutter of butterflies. The body changes, but emotional capacity does not.
Mother-daughter legacy: The chapter shows a chain of mothers—Georgia to Lillian, Lillian to Jet. Georgia’s comfort ritual (peppermint, tree carving) is passed down in Lillian’s own gentle parenting.
Comfort rituals: The peppermint and the tree carving are tangible acts of care that Lillian remembers decades later, showing how small gestures can anchor a child’s sense of safety.
Agency and choice: Lillian explicitly states that her relationship with Ryan was one of many possible choices. This theme runs through the chapter, from Georgia’s lesson to Lillian’s decision not to pry into Jet’s life.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 23 deepens our understanding of Lillian’s inner life and her relationship with her mother. It provides crucial backstory that explains Lillian’s resilience and her approach to love—she does not cling to people who leave, but she also does not isolate herself. The chapter also advances the present-day timeline: Ryan’s sobriety is stable, Shauna’s wedding is finally set, and Jet is on the cusp of her own first romantic experiences. Lillian’s decision not to pry into Jet’s relationship with Kendi shows a deliberate break from the kind of intrusive parenting she might have received, and it sets up future developments. The chapter’s meditation on beginnings and choices resonates with the novel’s larger themes of recovery, family, and the passage of time.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does Lillian’s memory of Lisa Ballard shape her understanding of her relationship with Ryan?

Lillian’s memory shows her that friendships and loves are not fated. Lisa left her, and Lillian eventually chose to need other people. This lesson—that beginnings are not blank canvases and that you make your own choices—allows Lillian to see her relationship with Ryan as one of many possibilities. She does not treat Ryan as a destiny but as a choice she actively makes, which makes her commitment more deliberate and grounded.

2. What does the magnolia tree carving symbolize, and how does it connect to the theme of permanence?

The carving of “GW + LW” represents the permanence of origins. Georgia tells Lillian that there is something permanent about where you start—the initials are a physical mark of first love and first need. Even though Lillian later loses track of Lisa and moves on, the tree remains a symbol of that foundational moment. It suggests that while beginnings can be reimagined, they leave a lasting imprint on who we become.

3. Why does Lillian choose not to ask Jet about Kendi, and what does this reveal about her parenting?

Lillian notices that something is going on between Jet and Kendi but decides not to pry. This restraint shows that she respects Jet’s privacy and trusts her to navigate her own relationships. It also reflects the lesson Lillian learned from her mother: you cannot control others’ choices, but you can start with what you are given and make your own. By giving Jet space, Lillian allows her daughter to make her own choices, just as Georgia allowed Lillian to do.