Chapter 12

On a hot May evening at The Train Stop Creamery, Autumn’s mother casually asks what Autumn knows about Sylvie. The question reveals that Aunt Angelina and Autumn’s mother have discussed Finny’s girlfriend, and that the adults still harbor disappointment that Autumn and Finny did not end up together. Autumn pushes back, reminding her mother she has Jamie.

Autumn reflects privately on an imagined version of life where she and Finny are together: sharing lunches, classes, art films, and small intimacies. When her mother presses whether Sylvie is a “good kid,” Autumn recalls rumors of Sylvie and Alexis making out on a Ferris wheel and the group’s drinking, juxtaposed with their good-student reputations.

Autumn struggles to reconcile the rumors with her image of Finny—wondering how he acts when drinking and how he reacted to Sylvie’s behavior. She deflects with sarcasm, listing Sylvie’s achievements to imply respectability, while imagining Finny wanting Sylvie to change certain behaviors and feeling included with his friends.

In the car ride home, Autumn’s thoughts intensify. She envisions a secret, sensual closeness with Finny—sneaking out, shared blankets, and physical intimacy—concluding that their bond would have grown beyond childhood if they had stayed together.