Chapter summaries This Could Be Us Kennedy Ryan

Chapter 4 Summary & Analysis: “Chapter One: Soledad”

⚠️ 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

Three years after the prologue, Soledad Barnes prepares for the CalPot Christmas party with her husband Edward. Their marriage has grown cold: they haven’t been intimate in two months, and Edward deflects her advances with hurtful comments about her body. Soledad recalls Edward mentioning his assistant Amber’s name in his sleep and senses something is wrong. At the party, Edward leaves Soledad to speak privately with Amber. While waiting in the buffet line, Soledad meets a compelling stranger—Judah Cross, the forensic accountant Edward has complained about. Their conversation is warm and easy, but it ices over when Judah learns Soledad is Edward’s wife. Edward later retrieves Soledad from a library where she was playing Rubik’s Cube with Judah’s son Aaron. Judah notices a bruise on Soledad’s wrist from where Edward gripped her too hard. The chapter ends with Edward warning Soledad about Judah, while Soledad privately questions her husband’s version of events.

Key Events

  • Soledad and Edward argue in their closet about their stalled sex life; Edward suggests she needs “vaginal rejuvenation.”
  • Soledad defiantly wears the gold dress Edward dislikes and leaves the house.
  • At the party, Edward meets with his assistant Amber, leaving Soledad alone.
  • Soledad strikes up a spontaneous conversation with Judah Cross at the buffet table.
  • Judah reveals he is divorced with twin sons; his son Aaron, who may be on the autism spectrum, is with him.
  • Soledad accidentally calls Judah a “geek” in front of Edward, repeating Edward’s insult.
  • In a library, Soledad bonds with Aaron over Rubik’s Cubes; Judah later touches the bruise on her wrist.
  • Edward finds them and insists they leave; Judah is openly hostile toward Edward.
  • Soledad witnesses Amber in a compromising position with a man she claims is her cousin.

Character Development

Soledad Barnes emerges as assertive and vulnerable. She stands up to Edward’s body shaming, but his cruelty wounds her deeply. Her brief connection with Judah awakens a hunger for warmth and attention she no longer receives at home.

Edward Barnes reveals a cruel, manipulative side. He gaslights Soledad, deflects blame, and physically grips her hard enough to bruise. His obsessive fear of Judah Cross suggests he may be hiding something.

Judah Cross is introduced as perceptive and guarded. He is warm with Soledad until he learns she is married to Edward, then becomes formal. His concern over the bruise implies he suspects abuse or at least mistreatment.

Aaron Cross is a quiet, focused teenager who communicates through actions rather than words. His comfort with Soledad hints at his intuitive nature.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Marital erosion and body shaming: Edward’s comment about “loose” genitals after childbirth is a deliberate attempt to undermine Soledad’s confidence and control the narrative of their failing intimacy.

Objectification vs. genuine connection: Edward views Soledad as an accessory, choosing her dress and monitoring Judah’s gaze. Judah, by contrast, speaks to Soledad as an equal, asking about her cooking and her heritage.

The Rubik’s Cube: Represents problem-solving and the complexity of relationships. Aaron’s silent invitation to play mirrors Soledad’s need for a distraction from her painful marriage.

The bruise: A physical manifestation of Edward’s possessive anger; it becomes a silent accusation that Judah notices but Soledad dismisses.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter solidifies the central conflict of the novel: Soledad’s struggle to recognize the truth about her failing marriage while being drawn to a man who sees her clearly. It also plants seeds of potential danger—Edward’s strange relationship with Amber, his hostility toward Judah, and the financial irregularities suggested by Judah’s forensic accounting role. Soledad’s choice to wear the gold dress and spend time with Aaron and Judah foreshadows her future independence and the crumbling of her old life.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. What does Edward’s suggestion that Soledad undergo “vaginal rejuvenation” reveal about his character?
    It reveals his cruelty, his tendency to blame Soledad for their sexual problems, and his willingness to shame her body rather than address the emotional distance in their marriage. The comment is a sucker punch intended to wound her into submission.

  2. How does Soledad’s interaction with Judah contrast with her interactions with Edward?
    Judah is curious about Soledad as a person—he asks about her cooking, her heritage, and listens without judgment. Edward, on the other hand, controls her appearance, dismisses her needs, and uses her body as a weapon. The warmth Judah shows makes Soledad feel “the sun on her face after winter,” highlighting what she is missing at home.

  3. What might the Rubik’s Cube scene with Aaron symbolize for Soledad’s future?
    The cube represents complexity and the possibility of order emerging from chaos. Aaron’s silent invitation suggests that Soledad is capable of building new connections on her own terms, outside Edward’s control. It also introduces Judah as a father who values gentleness and patience—qualities Edward lacks.

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