Chapter 6: Iris Packs for a New Life as a Nanny
⚠️ 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
Iris is packing her belongings while her cousin Bex and friend Kira help her sort clothes into “keep, donate, or trash” piles. Kira and Bex are skeptical of Iris’s decision to take a nanny job for Archer Baer and his daughter Olive, given Iris’s admitted discomfort around children. Iris insists the position is temporary—just until Olive finishes the school year—and will allow her to save money for a better apartment. She downplays her attraction to Archer, though Kira teases her about it. Bex warns Iris to be careful, reminding her that Archer is used to being in charge and could take advantage of her in a live-in arrangement. To ease her cousin’s mind, Iris mentions that she googled Archer and found no negative reports. Bex still insists Iris carry pepper spray, which Iris accepts reluctantly. After her friends leave, Iris reflects on her mother’s new boyfriend Gabriel and her aunt’s life in an ashram. She feels grateful for her support system and looks forward to a fresh start, even if she’s still nervous about the job.
Key Events
- Iris, Bex, and Kira sort clothes while the friends question Iris's nanny job.
- Iris defends the decision, calling it a temporary plan to save money.
- Kira teases Iris about finding Archer attractive; Iris denies it unconvincingly.
- Bex gives Iris pepper spray as a precaution against Archer.
- Iris mentions she researched Archer online and found no red flags.
- Bex and Kira leave; Iris thinks about her mother's new relationship and her aunt.
- Iris tells herself the job will be easy and looks forward to a new beginning.
Character Development
Iris reveals her strategy of using short-term jobs to avoid long-term commitment. She lies to herself and her friends about her true feelings toward children and toward Archer. The chapter shows her vulnerability as she accepts her friends’ concern while still pushing forward with a plan that makes her uneasy.
Bex acts as a protective family member, warning Iris and physically giving her pepper spray. Her caution highlights the risk Iris is taking moving into a single man’s house.
Kira provides lighthearted teasing but also genuine worry. She offers Iris a place to stay, showing her loyalty.
Archer does not appear directly, but his reputation—as a demanding boss and a very attractive man—is discussed and shapes Iris’s internal conflict.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
New beginnings drive the chapter. Iris frames the nanny job as a “fresh start” and compares herself to spring buds. This motif reinforces her love of change as a way to avoid deeper attachments.
Friendship and support are symbolized by the packing scene and the pepper spray. Bex and Kira’s presence shows Iris has a safety net, even as she embarks on an uncertain venture.
Self-deception runs through Iris’s repeated mantra that the job will be easy. She also pretends not to notice Archer’s attractiveness, a lie she knows her friends see through.
Caution vs. trust emerges in Bex’s warning. Iris chooses to trust her research, but the pepper spray reminds readers that trust carries risk.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter solidifies Iris’s decision to become Olive’s nanny and moves the plot into its central living arrangement. It establishes the key relationships in her support system and the warnings that create dramatic tension. Iris’s internal conflict—attraction versus caution, commitment versus freedom—is set up here and will drive her arc. The pepper spray is a Chekhov’s-gun-like detail that may become important later. Finally, the chapter defines Iris’s temporary mind-set, making her eventual growth more significant.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Iris lie to her friends about her feelings toward Archer?
Iris lies because she does not want her friends to talk her out of the job. She is attracted to Archer, but admitting that would make her decision seem emotional rather than practical, so she claims she hasn’t noticed his hotness.
2. What is the significance of Bex giving Iris pepper spray?
The pepper spray symbolizes Bex’s protective nature and her distrust of Archer. It introduces the possibility that Archer could be a threat—either physically or professionally—and adds suspense to Iris’s live-in arrangement.
3. What does Iris’s “easy” motto reveal about her character?
Iris repeats that the nanny job will be easy to convince herself and others that she can handle it. This motto reveals her tendency to downplay challenges and avoid emotional investment, which is a defense mechanism rooted in her transient lifestyle.