Chapter 94: Steve's Dubai Reflections
⚠️ 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
Steve Wheeler walks along Dubai Marina, far from his quiet life in Axley. He enters an Irish Pub that feels nothing like a real Irish pub—neon signs, diamond-encrusted vodka, basketball on every screen. The noise grates on him. Inside, he wrestles with the question of whether he has enjoyed this adventure. He decides "enjoy" is the wrong word; he hasn't enjoyed anything since Debbie died. Instead, he asks himself if he is glad. He is glad to have spent time with Amy, glad to have helped Rosie, and glad to remember he is still good at his job. He feels a magnetic pull back to Axley, but also a resistance. That resistance comes from remembering there were once two grooves on his sofa—his and Debbie's. He understands that what he truly misses is Debbie, not Axley. Yet Debbie has been with him everywhere he's gone. As this realization settles, he spots the person he has come to meet: François Loubet, sitting with a pint and taking a call. Steve pulls up a chair beside him.
Key Events
- Steve walks along Dubai Marina, feeling the distance from his home in Axley.
- He enters a themed Irish Pub that is crowded, loud, and full of neon signs and basketball games; he finds it inauthentic.
- Steve reflects on his journey, concluding he has not "enjoyed" it but is "glad" for time with Amy and Rosie.
- He acknowledges that his real longing is for Debbie, not for Axley itself.
- Steve realizes Debbie has been with him throughout his travels.
- He spots François Loubet in the pub and goes to sit with him.
Character Development
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Steve Wheeler: This chapter deepens Steve's interior life. He openly admits his life has become small and shrinking. His grief over Debbie is raw—he hasn't enjoyed anything since her death. Yet he also finds pride in his competence and in the relationships he has built (with Amy and Rosie). The metaphor of the two grooves on his sofa shows how fully his identity was intertwined with Debbie. His ability to recognize the difference between missing a place and missing a person marks emotional growth. He is ready to face the final confrontation with Loubet, not as a reluctant retiree but as a capable man who still has purpose.
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François Loubet: Appears only at the end, but his presence signals the chapter's climax. Loubet is calm, drinking a pint, talking on his phone—unaware or unconcerned that Steve is approaching. This sets up the next encounter.
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Debbie Wheeler (deceased): Though not present, her spirit pervades the chapter. Steve's internal dialogue reveals she is his constant companion, the anchor of his emotional world. Her memory gives him strength and clarity.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
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The Two Grooves on the Sofa: A powerful symbol of shared life and loss. The missing second groove represents Debbie's absence, while the remaining groove shows how Steve has settled into solitude. The image captures both comfort and emptiness.
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Noise vs. Silence: The pub is unbearably loud with "the noise of other people." Steve contrasts this with the familiar noise of Axley, which is his own noise. The theme of belonging and alienation is woven through his sensory discomfort.
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Enjoyment vs. Gladness: Steve carefully distinguishes between these two emotions. He rejects "enjoy" as trivial and replaces it with "glad"—a deeper, more reflective satisfaction tied to meaningful connections and purpose.
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Home as a Person, Not a Place: Steve realizes he does not miss Axley; he misses Debbie. Home is where she was. This reframes the entire journey as one of carrying her memory with him.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 94 serves as a crucial emotional pivot. After chapters of action and travel, Osman slows the pace to let Steve process his grief and his reasons for being in Dubai. The interior monologue establishes Steve's psychological state before the final confrontation with Loubet. It answers a question the reader may have had: Why is Steve, a retired security guard, still here? Because he has rediscovered his own capability and, more importantly, because Debbie's presence goes wherever he goes. This chapter also humanizes Steve beyond the "grumpy old man" trope, revealing a man who is acutely self-aware and still learning about himself. The meeting with Loubet is the reward for this reflection—the final act is about to begin.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Steve say “enjoy” is the wrong word for his experience?
Steve has not enjoyed anything since Debbie died. Enjoyment implies pleasure without depth, whereas his journey has been about duty, protection, and rediscovery of purpose. He prefers "glad" because it acknowledges the value of what he has done without pretending the pain has gone away.
2. What does the metaphor of the two grooves on his sofa represent?
The grooves symbolize the shape of his and Debbie's shared lives. One groove remains—his own—while the other has vanished, just as Debbie has physically vanished from his life. This image captures how closely their identities were fused and how empty his home feels without her.
3. Why does Steve resist the pull back to Axley?
He realizes he does not want to return to Axley itself; he wants to return to Debbie. But since she is gone, Axley is just a place with a solitary groove. The resistance comes from the painful memory that the second groove is missing. He must learn to carry Debbie with him wherever he goes, which he begins to understand in this chapter.