This Could Be Us Chapter 9 (Chapter Six): Soledad – Summary & 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
Soledad speaks with Edward by phone from prison. He evades direct answers about his crimes but confirms he stole money, purchased a one-way ticket to Bali (a country without a US extradition treaty), and has been deemed a flight risk with no bail possible. Soledad confronts him about leaving the family destitute and demands the truth. After the call, she retrieves a chest belonging to her deceased mother. Inside are treasured objects: a dog-eared copy of bell hooks’s All About Love, a mortar and pestle, a Puerto Rican flag, and a family machete. Soledad reflects on her mother’s secret affair with Bray and the painful choices between love and duty. These heirlooms reconnect Soledad with her resilience. The chapter ends with a mundane text from Lottie about needing string cheese after gymnastics, a reminder of the everyday life Soledad must still manage amid crisis.
Key Events
- Soledad’s phone conversation with Edward reveals he planned an escape to Bali and is now a flight risk with no bail.
- Edward suggests Soledad move the girls to Boston to stay with his mother, revealing a history of racial bias (his mother favors the lighter-skinned daughter).
- Soledad defends the value of her unpaid domestic labor, recalling her past work cleaning hotel rooms while pregnant so Edward could earn his MBA.
- After the call, Soledad opens her late mother’s chest and examines keepsakes: a book, a pilón (mortar and pestle), a concert ticket, a Puerto Rican flag, and a machete.
- She remembers witnessing an intimate, passionate moment between her mother and Bray, a man who was not her father.
- Soledad receives a text from Lottie reminding her of the gym pickup, pulling her back to daily responsibilities.
Character Development
Soledad – This chapter deepens Soledad’s awareness of her own worth. She refuses to be reduced to an accessory to Edward’s crimes and pushes back against his dismissal of her contributions. Her confrontation over the racist favoritism in Edward’s family shows a protective fierceness. Revisiting her mother’s belongings reconnects Soledad to her cultural and personal identity, stirring a desire to be bold rather than passive.
Edward – Edward’s manipulation is fully exposed. He tries to frame his theft as a gift for the family (“I did this for you”) while simultaneously planning to flee alone. His refusal to take responsibility and his attempt to control Soledad’s actions from prison highlight his selfishness and entitlement.
Soledad’s mother – Though deceased, she is developed through Soledad’s memory. The mother had a difficult, passionate relationship with Bray, a man who respected her marriage but also loved her deeply. The mother’s objects provide Soledad with a tangible link to her own strength and heritage.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
The value of unseen labor – Soledad challenges Edward’s belief that her work as a homemaker is not real work. She recalls night shifts cleaning hotel rooms while pregnant, a direct counter to his narrative of her life of leisure.
Heritage as a source of power – The chest of heirlooms—the pilón, the Puerto Rican flag, the machete—symbolize resistance, self-sufficiency, and family memory. They act as anchors for Soledad when she feels unmoored.
The weight of secrets and silence – Edward’s evasion and Soledad’s past reluctance to question her mother’s affair mirror each other. The chapter suggests that silence can both protect and imprison.
Loyalty tested by betrayal – Edward expects blind loyalty from Soledad even after his betrayal. Her refusal to comply represents a break from the traditional spousal role she had occupied.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 9 solidifies the moral and emotional turning point for Soledad. She no longer doubts Edward’s guilt and recognizes the depth of his selfishness. The introduction of her mother’s history and keepsakes gives Soledad a concrete inheritance of resilience, suggesting she has the strength to forge a new path. This chapter also deepens the novel’s exploration of marriage, sacrifice, and the often-invisible contributions of women. Readers see Soledad beginning to envision a life defined not by Edward’s plans but by her own choices.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What does the plane ticket to Bali reveal about Edward’s true intentions? Edward purchased a one-way ticket to a country without an extradition treaty, planning to flee alone—leaving Soledad and the girls behind with no money. It shows he never intended to face consequences with his family and viewed them as expendable once his scheme collapsed.
2. How does Soledad’s memory of her mother’s affair influence her present situation? The memory shows Soledad that love can coexist with duty and that people sometimes make painful compromises. Her mother ultimately chose her marriage and family, but she also carried a deep, unfinished love for Bray. This recognition helps Soledad see her own possible futures: she need not stay trapped in a loveless, dishonest partnership.
3. Why is Soledad’s refusal to move the girls to Boston significant? Soledad refuses to relocate them to Edward’s mother’s home because she has witnessed the grandmother’s racial bias against her darker-skinned daughters. It demonstrates Soledad’s commitment to protecting her children’s emotional well-being over obeying Edward’s instructions, marking a shift from passive compliance to active agency.