Chapter 10: Aubrey — Full 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

The chapter opens with Aubrey and Milly at Sweetfern Bakery in downtown Gull Cove, debating whether to expose Jonah North as an imposter posing as their cousin Jonah Story. Aubrey argues against it, noting that the fake Jonah is a distant fourth on her list of worries. Her priorities are her father, the upcoming brunch with her grandmother, and Thomas's strange silence. She reflects that she's stopped texting Thomas and wonders if they're effectively broken up.

Aubrey recalls texting her mother about Cutty Beach, asking if her father ever talks about it. Her mother's response is vague — he's mentioned it occasionally but never seemed to like it much. This adds to Aubrey's unease about the connection between her father and the island.

While waiting to order more coffee, Aubrey notices a photo on the bakery wall: her father as a young man, arm around an older woman with a distinctive port-wine stain on her hand — her grandmother Mildred. The plaque identifies them as Mildred and Adam Story with the first-place winner of the 1994 Gull Cove Island Local Artists Competition. The painting Adam is holding is described as terrible, which strikes Aubrey as ironic given Mildred's world-renowned art collection.

Hazel Baxter-Clement appears and offers to arrange a meeting with her grandfather, who is doing better and could tell stories about Aubrey's parents. Aubrey takes Hazel's number, though Milly remains skeptical.

Aubrey then calls her father. The conversation quickly turns hostile when he criticizes her for not being proactive enough about arranging the brunch with her grandmother. He lectures her about her passivity, saying she reacts instead of acting. Aubrey, recalling Dr. Baxter's words about Adam wasting his potential, retaliates by revealing his affair with her swim coach, Coach Matson, who is pregnant. She hangs up and powers down her phone.

Aubrey breaks down completely, telling Milly about the affair for the first time. She reveals that she introduced her father to Coach Matson at the pool during her sophomore year, and feels guilty for being the connection between them. She's stopped swimming with her team, can't face Coach Matson, and fears her parents' marriage won't survive. She also notes that she told Milly before telling Thomas, her boyfriend of four years, which she sees as telling about their relationship.

Milly, awkward but sincere, tries to comfort her. She shares her own feelings about her mother's coldness and her father's struggles. They realize they're sitting in a graveyard, next to the grave of Abraham Story, whose headstone reads Family first, always — an ironic epitaph given the family's dysfunction.

Aubrey decides that her father was right about one thing: they should be proactive. She proposes giving Hazel the interview she's been seeking — and asking questions of their own.

Key Events

Aubrey and Milly decide not to expose Jonah North as an imposter
Aubrey learns her father rarely mentioned Cutty Beach to her mother
Aubrey discovers a 1994 photo of her father and grandmother at Sweetfern Bakery
Hazel Baxter-Clement offers to arrange a meeting with her grandfather
Aubrey calls her father, who criticizes her passivity
Aubrey reveals her father's affair with Coach Matson, who is pregnant
Aubrey breaks down and confesses the affair to Milly
The cousins find themselves at Abraham Story's grave
Aubrey decides to be proactive: give Hazel the interview and ask their own questions

Character Development

Aubrey: This is a turning point for Aubrey. She confronts her father for the first time, breaking her pattern of passive acceptance. She reveals the affair she's been hiding and processes her guilt about introducing her father to Coach Matson. Her decision to be proactive — to give Hazel the interview and ask questions — marks a shift from reaction to action.

Milly: Shows her awkward but genuine attempts at comfort. She shares her own family pain, revealing her feelings about her mother's coldness. Her support helps Aubrey move forward.

Adam Story: Though not present in person, his character is further revealed through the phone call. He criticizes Aubrey for being passive while himself refusing to take responsibility for his affair. He's described as believing himself a misunderstood genius.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Proactivity vs. Passivity: The central theme of this chapter. Adam criticizes Aubrey for being passive, but his own proactivity is destructive — he cheated on his wife with his daughter's coach. Aubrey ultimately chooses a healthier form of proactivity: seeking answers rather than waiting.

Irony: Abraham Story's grave reads Family first, always, yet the family is deeply fractured. The photo of Adam winning an art competition with a terrible painting is ironic given Mildred's art collection.

Guilt: Aubrey's guilt about introducing her father to Coach Matson weighs heavily on her. She feels responsible for a chain of events she couldn't have predicted.

Generational Patterns: The chapter catalogs the dysfunction across the Story siblings — Adam's affair, Allison's coldness, Anders's estrangement from JT, Archer's addictions — suggesting a family legacy of broken relationships.

Graveyard Symbolism: The cousins end up at Abraham Story's grave, a literal family reunion that underscores the family's disconnection in life.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a pivotal moment for Aubrey's character arc. It's the first time she actively confronts her father and breaks free from her pattern of passive acceptance. The revelation of the affair — and her guilt about introducing her father to Coach Matson — adds depth to her character and explains her emotional state throughout the book. The chapter also sets up the next phase of the investigation: Aubrey and Milly's decision to give Hazel the interview and ask their own questions, which will likely lead to new revelations about the family's secrets.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Aubrey decide not to expose Jonah North as an imposter?

Aubrey argues that Jonah North isn't their biggest problem. She has larger worries: her father's affair, the upcoming brunch with her grandmother, and Thomas's silence. She also notes that the fake Jonah seems like an upgrade from the real Jonah Story, and she understands what it's like to need money.

2. What does the 1994 photo at Sweetfern Bakery reveal about Adam Story?

The photo shows Adam as a young man, winning the first annual Gull Cove Island Local Artists Competition with a painting that Aubrey describes as terrible. It's ironic given Mildred's world-renowned art collection, and it connects to Dr. Baxter's earlier comment about Adam having seeds of greatness that he wasted.

3. How does Aubrey's confrontation with her father change her?

Aubrey's confrontation is a breaking point. She reveals the affair she's been hiding, hangs up on her father, and breaks down crying. After processing her emotions with Milly, she decides to be proactive — to give Hazel the interview and ask questions of her own. This marks a shift from passive acceptance to active investigation.