Chapter 35: Friends Help Iris Face Her Fears

⚠️ 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

Two weeks after leaving Archer’s house, Iris is wallowing on Bex’s couch, wrapped in blankets with the air conditioner cranked high. She feels sick, exhausted, and has been surviving on sugary cereal. Her friends Bex, Kira, and Isabel gather to help her confront her situation. Bex announces she called in reinforcements to address Iris’s three intertwined problems: falling in love with Archer, missing Olive, and the unplanned pregnancy.

Iris resists talking at first, but Kira suggests taking one problem at a time. They start with the pregnancy. Iris admits she is on the pill and doesn’t know how it happened. Bex points out Iris was never reliable with her pill. Isabel calms the brewing argument and asks Iris directly whether she wants to continue the pregnancy. Iris feels the weight of having options but realizes she might actually want to keep the baby.

Each friend shares her perspective: Kira has no plans for human children, Bex surprisingly says she would keep the baby and would help raise it, and Isabel reveals she considered not keeping her surprise pregnancy with Jane. Isabel admits it was hard and scary, and that all parents make mistakes and question themselves. She shares a story about Jane wandering off in Target, normalizing Iris’s guilt over losing Olive. Kira passionately defends Iris, pointing out that Archer gets a gold star just for showing up while Iris does not give herself credit for being there for Olive.

The friends then turn to Archer. Iris admits she misses him terribly and daydreams about returning and telling him about the baby, but she fears he might not want her back or that she has broken Olive’s heart. Isabel mentions seeing Olive recently at The Pumpkin Spice Café, where Olive joyfully told everyone her dad bought her a bunny. The news stirs both longing and pain in Iris. Kira urges Iris to call Archer, but Iris insists she needs to figure out the pregnancy first so she knows what she is asking of him. Bex then pushes Iris to shower and get moving. Isabel leaves ginger tea for nausea, and Kira hugs Iris, telling her it is up to her and they love her. Iris locks herself in the bathroom as Bex begins trumpet practice, realizing decisions cannot wait much longer.

Key Events

Iris has been hiding on Bex’s couch for two weeks, eating only sugary cereal.
Bex, Kira, and Isabel gather to confront Iris about her three problems: Archer, Olive, and the pregnancy.
The group discusses Iris’s pregnancy options; each friend shares her personal stance on having children.
Isabel reveals her own difficult surprise pregnancy with Jane and normalizes parental mistakes, including a story about Jane wandering off in Target.
Kira tells Iris she deserves as much credit as Archer for being there for Olive.
Isabel reports seeing Olive happily announcing her new bunny, which deepens Iris’s longing.
Iris decides she must resolve her pregnancy decision before contacting Archer.
The friends encourage Iris to shower and begin moving forward; Iris acknowledges she needs to make decisions soon.

Character Development

Iris begins the chapter stuck in a cycle of avoidance and guilt. Through her friends’ support, she shifts from refusing to talk to actively considering her feelings about the pregnancy and Archer. She admits she misses them and allows herself to imagine keeping the baby. Her decision to shower and face her problems marks a turning point from wallowing to action.

Bex reveals a softer, more maternal side. Though she has never mentioned wanting kids before, she says she would keep the baby and offers to help raise it, showing deep loyalty to Iris.

Kira passionately defends Iris’s role in Olive’s life, insisting Iris deserves recognition for showing up—the same recognition Iris gives Archer. Her speech helps Iris reframe her self-blame.

Isabel shares her vulnerability about her own surprise pregnancy and parental mistakes, providing Iris with a realistic but hopeful model of motherhood.

Archer does not appear in person, but his actions (buying Olive a bunny) and Iris’s memories of him keep his presence alive. His implied willingness to move forward contrasts with Iris’s fear of rejection.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Friendship as a lifeline: The entire chapter is built around the intervention of Iris’s closest friends. They provide different perspectives but unified support, demonstrating that community is essential for navigating life’s crises.

Motherhood and fear of failure: Iris’s central fear is that she has already failed Olive and will fail another child. Isabel’s story about Jane and Kira’s pep talk challenge Iris’s perfectionism and reframe mistakes as part of parenting.

The bunny as a symbol: The bunny Archer bought Olive represents the new, joyful normal that continues without Iris. It reinforces her sense of being left out but also reminds her of the love she still feels.

Decision paralysis: Iris feels stuck between her desire to return and her fear of rejection. The chapter shows that avoiding a decision is itself a decision that prolongs pain.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 35 is the emotional turning point for Iris. Her friends’ intervention breaks her two-week isolation and forces her to acknowledge her pregnancy and her feelings. By hearing Isabel’s story of a surprise baby that worked out, and Bex’s offer of concrete help, Iris begins to see a possible future that includes the child. The chapter also clarifies that Iris’s greatest fear is not the pregnancy itself but the possibility that Archer will not forgive her for leaving. This insight sets up the crucial confrontation and decision that must come in the next chapters.

Study Questions and Answers

How do Iris’s friends each offer a different kind of support, and why is that combination effective for her?
Kira provides emotional validation and a push to recognize her own worth; Bex offers practical help and a model of choosing motherhood; Isabel shares hard-won wisdom about parental imperfection. Together they address Iris’s guilt, fear, and indecision, giving her both permission to hope and a realistic view of the challenges ahead.
Why does Iris insist on knowing what she wants about the pregnancy before contacting Archer?
Iris believes she must have a clear answer about whether she wants to keep the baby before she can ask Archer to be part of that decision. She does not want to burden him with more uncertainty after the pain she caused by leaving. This reflects her deep sense of responsibility and her fear of rejection.
What does the story Isabel tells about Jane wandering off in Target reveal about the theme of parental failure?
Isabel’s story normalizes mistakes that feel catastrophic in the moment. By sharing her own moment of panic and shame, she shows Iris that losing sight of a child (even temporarily) does not make someone a bad parent. It reframes Iris’s guilt over Olive as a common, survivable blunder rather than an unforgivable sin.