Chapter summaries This Summer Will Be Different Carley Fortune

Chapter 36 Summary: The Airport Goodbye

⚠️ 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

Lucy drives Bridget to Toronto Pearson Airport on October 29. Miles, Bridget’s partner, is already in Sydney house-hunting. The roads are unusually clear, and Lucy holds Bridget’s hand so tightly that Bridget complains, but Lucy refuses to let go. Bridget is six weeks pregnant. Lucy helps with luggage, walks her to security, and stays until the last moment. They both cry in the terminal, comforted by a stranger with tissues. Lucy tells Bridget she is her best friend, that she will miss her, and that she loves her more than anyone. Then she lets go.

Key Events

  1. October 29 departure – Bridget flies to Australia on flight AC119. Miles is already in Sydney looking for a home.
  2. Silent ride – The highway is empty, and Lucy wishes for traffic to delay the farewell. She holds Bridget’s hand the entire way.
  3. Pregnancy revealed in action – Bridget is six weeks pregnant; Lucy lifts her luggage onto the scale.
  4. Final hug at security – Lucy walks Bridget to the gate and hugs her until both are crying. A stranger hands them tissues.
  5. Three-part goodbye – Lucy says Bridget is her best friend, that she’ll miss her, and that she loves her more than anyone. Then she releases her.

Character Development

  • Lucy – Demonstrates profound emotional dependence on Bridget. Her tight grip shows her fear of losing her best friend. The act of letting go after the final declaration marks a small but significant step toward accepting the separation. Her vulnerability in the terminal is raw and unguarded.
  • Bridget – Although seen through Lucy’s eyes, Bridget is calm and grounded. She is starting a new life in Australia with Miles and carrying their child. Her complaint about her numb fingers is gentle, underscoring their intimate bond.
  • Miles – Not physically present, but his absence highlights his role as the reason for Bridget’s move. He is actively house-hunting, symbolizing the practical side of the transition.

Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

  • Letting go – The central action of the chapter. Lucy physically and emotionally releases Bridget, a moment she has been dreading. Her words and tears show love, and the release itself shows courage.
  • The empty highway – A motif of fate’s irony: when Lucy wants time to slow, the roads are clear. It underscores the inevitability of the goodbye.
  • Tissue from a stranger – A small symbol of unexpected kindness during a moment of intense personal grief. It also universalizes the experience of farewell.
  • Pregnancy as new life – Bridget’s pregnancy ties the departure to a hopeful future, contrasting with Lucy’s sense of loss.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 36 is the emotional climax of Lucy and Bridget’s friendship arc in the present timeline. The physical departure marks the end of an era for the two women. Lucy’s ability to let go after saying the most important words shows growth—she does not cling past the moment of parting. This chapter also solidifies the stakes for Lucy’s solo storyline going forward. The pregnancy and Miles’s presence in Australia set up a new chapter in Bridget’s life and force Lucy to redefine her own identity without her best friend nearby.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Lucy hold Bridget’s hand so tightly?
She is terrified of the separation. The physical grip is a desperate attempt to keep Bridget close and delay the inevitable goodbye. She admits that letting go would make her shatter.

2. What is the significance of Bridget being six weeks pregnant?
The pregnancy adds a permanent new bond between Bridget and Miles, making her move to Australia final and life-changing. For Lucy, it deepens the sense of loss because Bridget is not only moving far away but also entering a new family phase Lucy can’t be part of in the same way.

3. How does the stranger’s gesture affect the scene?
The elderly woman’s tissues remind both women that their pain is witnessed and shared by a compassionate world. It softens the raw emotion and reinforces the theme that human connection can appear in unexpected places.

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