Chapter 14 – Pasta, Broken Glass, and a Reluctant Apology
⚠️ 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
Millie is determined to cook a perfect pasta alla Norma for Enzo, hoping to replicate the dish he loved at Suzette's. While she struggles with the eggplant, Nico pesteres her about practicing baseball with Enzo, who told him he would show off a curveball. Millie compromises by setting aside buttered spaghetti for Nico and sending him to practice alone in the backyard. Moments later, she hears glass shattering. Nico has broken the stained-glass window on the second floor of Suzette's house.
Millie marches Nico next door to apologize. When Suzette answers the door, Millie is furious to find Enzo already there, helping in Suzette's backyard. Enzo looks guilty. After the apology, Millie proposes that Nico perform chores for Suzette to pay for the expensive window, rather than the family covering the cost. Suzette initially resists, but Enzo pressures her by questioning why she would refuse. Reluctantly, Suzette agrees. Millie feels she has solved the financial problem, taught Nico responsibility, and created a deterrent to Suzette's flirtation with Enzo.
Key Events
- Millie struggles to brown the eggplant for Enzo's favorite dish, pasta alla Norma.
- Nico is upset that Enzo is not home to practice baseball as promised.
- Nico breaks Suzette's stained-glass window while practicing alone in the yard.
- Millie brings Nico to apologise and discovers Enzo already at Suzette's house.
- Millie suggests Nico do chores instead of paying for the window repair.
- Enzo subtly pressures Suzette by implying she might have a reason to keep Nico out.
- Suzette gives in, allowing Nico to perform chores for her.
Character Development
Millie shows both vulnerability and resourcefulness. Her intense effort to cook a dish Enzo loved elsewhere reveals her insecurity in the marriage. When the window is broken, she quickly pivots to a pragmatic solution that also serves her own interests—keeping Nico close to Suzette to discourage any advances. Her anger at finding Enzo at Suzette's is palpable, yet she controls her emotions to handle the crisis.
Nico is impulsive and careless, but genuinely sorry. His hero-worship of Enzo is highlighted when he asks Millie about Enzo's curveball. The chore arrangement forces him to face consequences for his actions.
Enzo is exposed as unreliable: he promised to practice with Nico but instead went to Suzette's without telling Millie. His guilt is evident, and he supports Millie's plan, perhaps to avoid further conflict.
Suzette is manipulative and vain. She wears revealing clothing and resists having Nico around. Her reluctant agreement suggests she is not entirely comfortable with Enzo's presence, or she wishes to maintain a controlled boundary.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Domestic tension: The kitchen scene—Millie's failed eggplant—symbolises her struggle to compete with Suzette's perfect dish and keep Enzo's affection.
- Boundaries and intrusion: Enzo repeatedly crosses the boundary of their property and trust. The broken window is a literal intrusion, while Nico's future chores represent a forced proximity.
- Power dynamics: Millie uses the accident to reassert control. By positioning Nico as a constant presence in Suzette's house, she aims to monitor and limit Enzo's private time with her.
- Financial strain: The inability to pay for the stained-glass window highlights the family's precarious finances and forces a humiliating arrangement.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter deepens the central mystery of Enzo's relationship with Suzette. Millie's suspicion, already hinted in earlier chapters, is now grounded in a second instance of Enzo spending time next door without explanation. The stained-glass window becomes a tangible symbol of the tension between the households. Moreover, the introduction of Nico as a regular visitor to Suzette's house creates a new dynamic: Millie has planted a spy, but also put her son in an unpredictable environment. The chapter also reinforces Millie's identity as a woman who must scheme to protect her family, recalling her past survival instincts from the earlier books in the series.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Millie decide to cook pasta alla Norma, and what does her reaction to the unsuccessful frying reveal about her state of mind?
Answer: Millie chooses the dish because Enzo raved about it after eating it at Suzette's. Her frustration when the eggplant won't brown shows her anxiety about competing with Suzette and her fear that she cannot measure up in Enzo's eyes. -
How does Millie turn the broken-window incident into an opportunity to manage the situation with Suzette?
Answer: Rather than offering to pay for the repair, Millie insists that Nico do chores as restitution. This forces Suzette to allow the boy into her home regularly, which Millie sees as a way to discourage Suzette from getting too close to Enzo—and to keep an eye on the neighbour herself. -
What does Enzo's presence at Suzette's house, and his later pressure on her to accept the chore arrangement, suggest about his priorities and loyalties?
Answer: Enzo broke his promise to Millie by going to Suzette's without telling her, which suggests he prioritises his time with Suzette over his family. Yet when Millie's plan is on the line, he supports her, using subtle intimidation to make Suzette agree. This indicates he may be trying to balance both women's expectations while avoiding outright confrontation.