Chapter 20

The day after Thanksgiving, Autumn hides in her room while her parents argue in escalating waves of shouting, whispers, and slamming doors. She passes the afternoon motionless, waiting for darkness, and later hears her father drive away and her mother leave for Aunt Angelina’s. Hungry after midnight, Autumn warms leftovers and reflects on an awkward holiday where she and Finny remained polite strangers at the table.

Drawn by the cold night, Autumn eats on the porch in a small act of rebellion. A blue car drops Finny off; he approaches unsteadily, clearly tipsy. He greets Autumn, slurs a remark, and, learning The Mothers are next door in his kitchen, asks to sit with her rather than go inside. When Autumn shivers, Finny offers his letterman jacket, mistakenly calling her “Sylvie.” She corrects him, and he apologizes, pressing the jacket on her anyway.

Autumn finds Finny’s lost keys in the jacket pocket, sparing him a confrontation with his father. They talk about drinking and why Autumn is outside; she admits her parents fought. Finny earnestly apologizes and offers to listen as he sobers, though his tone reveals uncertainty about continuing when sober.

Finny asks if Jamie treats Autumn well. Startled, Autumn affirms she loves Jamie and jokes about Sylvie not wanting Finny to defend her honor. Finny insists he’d protect Autumn anyway, adding he’s only admitting it because he’s drunk. The conversation nears a deeper past—middle school—but Finny stops himself, deciding to go in before he says too much.

They exchange the jacket back, trade soft thanks and goodnights, and Finny asks to use Autumn as an excuse if he’s late. Autumn agrees, teasing that she cried on his shoulder. Back in bed, she watches Finny’s bedroom light burn for a long time, recalling how they once spoke across a string-and-cup line, the memory underscoring their fragile, rekindled connection despite the broader social rift.