The Rubik’s Cube in This Could Be Us: A Symbol of Complexity, Connection, and Resolution

Overview

In This Could Be Us, the Rubik’s Cube first appears as a quiet preoccupation of Aaron Cross, the autistic twin son of Judah Cross. Over the course of the novel, the cube grows into a layered symbol that reflects the tangled, multi-sided nature of love, family, neurodiversity, and the slow work of solving life’s hardest puzzles. More than a toy, the cube becomes a shared language, a source of both distress and comfort, and finally a concrete emblem of the blended family’s emerging harmony.

The cube recurs at three pivotal moments: the Christmas party where Soledad Barnes meets Aaron and Judah, the meltdown at the toy store when the rare Megaminx is sold out, and the first blended-family dinner where Inez Barnes bonds with Aaron over the same cube. Each appearance adds a new facet to its meaning, echoing the epigraph from Zora Neale Hurston: “There are years that ask questions and years that answer.”

Where the Cube Appears

How the Cube’s Meaning Changes

First appearance: a quiet invitation to connection. At the party, Soledad is isolated and miserable. The cube offers an escape from her failing marriage and a rare moment of peace. Aaron’s silent offer of a cube is an act of trust—he does not speak, but he shares his world. For Soledad, solving the cube becomes an analogy for the patience and acceptance she later extends to Judah’s family. This initial scene establishes the cube as a neutral, non-judgmental space where two strangers can coexist without words.

Second appearance: distress and the limits of control. In the toy store, the cube that usually soothes Aaron becomes the source of extreme agitation when it is unavailable. The meltdown reveals that the cube is not just a hobby but a vital self-regulation tool for Aaron. For Judah, the cube symbolizes his helplessness in protecting his son from overwhelming emotions. This scene deepens the symbol: the same object that provides order can also represent what is out of reach, mirroring the characters’ struggles with circumstances beyond their control.

Third appearance: a bridge between families. At the family dinner, Inez picks up a cube and sits with Aaron. This moment echoes the first scene, but now the connection is deliberate and warm. The cube becomes a tool for Inés to show acceptance and for Aaron to feel included. The shared activity dissolves tension and paves the way for the blended family to coalesce. The cube that once isolated Aaron now integrates him into a larger whole.

Character Connections

Aaron Cross

Aaron is non-speaking and uses a communication device. The Rubik’s Cube is his most fluent language. He solves them with remarkable speed, indicating a mind that finds patterns and order satisfying. The cube is both his comfort object and his way of engaging with the world. When he offers a cube to Soledad, he is making a rare social overture. His meltdown over the Megaminx underscores how deeply his sense of safety is tied to these objects.

Judah Cross

Judah is the father who learns to rely on patience rather than force. In the meltdown scene, he does not shame Aaron or demand calm; he grounds him with touch and repeated reassurance. The cube teaches Judah (and the reader) that love is not about solving the problem instantly, but staying present through the struggle. His ability to sit with Aaron’s distress mirrors the novel’s theme of healing and second chances —you cannot rush the process.

Soledad Barnes

Soledad enters the story trapped in a marriage where she is unseen. Her willingness to sit with Aaron and fumble through the cube shows her open, nurturing nature. Later, as she builds her own life through the self-partnering and self-love journey, the cube comes to represent the complexity she is no longer afraid to embrace. She does not need to solve everything at once; she can take it one rotation at a time.

Inez Barnes

Inez is Soledad’s middle daughter, initially guarded about the new family. Her decision to bond with Aaron over the cube is a turning point. It signals her willingness to accept difference and create her own connection, independent of her mother. The cube becomes a bridge between the Barnes and Cross households, echoing the motherhood and family theme of building chosen bonds.

Theme Connections

Neurodiversity and Parenting

The cube is directly tied to Aaron’s autism. The novel deliberately avoids pathologizing his special interest; instead, it shows how the cube structures his world. Judah’s parenting—allowing Aaron his cubes, preparing for meltdowns, celebrating his skill—models a respectful, supportive approach. The cube is not something to be fixed, but to be understood.

Betrayal and Trust

Soledad’s first moment of genuine connection outside her marriage occurs over the cube. Edward’s betrayal (both financial and emotional) contrasts with the honest, wordless trust she builds with Aaron and Judah. The cube represents a relationship built on presence rather than pretense.

Self-Partnering and Self-Love

Soledad’s solo anniversary date and her Me List (including building her she shed) parallel the cube’s message: you must be willing to turn the pieces yourself before you can fit them together with someone else. The cube is a puzzle one person can solve alone; only after Soledad learns to partner with herself can she fully join with Judah.

Healing and Second Chances

The cube’s final appearance—Inez and Aaron solving it together—mirrors the epigraph’s promise that years of questions lead to years of answers. The family that was fractured by betrayal and divorce finds a new, more resilient shape. The cube, once a solitary pursuit, becomes a collective activity.

Four Study Questions with Answers

1. How does the Rubik’s Cube reflect Aaron’s neurodivergent experience?
The cube provides Aaron with a predictable, pattern-based activity that helps him regulate sensory input and emotions. His speed and focus demonstrate his exceptional cognitive strengths. The meltdown over the missing Megaminx shows that when his routine is disrupted, he loses his anchor. The cube is both his superpower and his vulnerability.

2. In what way does the cube symbolize Soledad’s journey from isolation to connection?
Soledad initially picks up the cube to avoid her husband and the party. She is awkward and slow, unable to solve it. By the family dinner, she has become more patient and self-possessed. The cube’s complexity mirrors her own life—messy, but capable of resolution when approached with calm persistence.

3. Why is the scene where Inez bonds with Aaron over the cube a turning point in the blended family plot?
The children’s willingness to connect without adult intervention signals that the family is becoming organic. Inez reaches out using Aaron’s own language (the cube), proving that acceptance does not require words. This moment makes the eventual reconciliation between Soledad and Judah possible because their kids are already building their own relationships.

4. How does the cube connect to the epigraph from Zora Neale Hurston?
The epigraph states, “There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” The scrambled cube is a question; solving it is an answer. Each character faces years of questions—Soledad’s marriage collapse, Judah’s parenting challenges, Aaron’s meltdowns—and the process of slow, deliberate turning leads to answers: trust, love, and a new family configuration.