Contents
Chapter 4
Overview
Nora wakes from a vivid dream of her late mother, underscoring lingering grief and homesickness. Seeking calm, she jogs, embarrasses herself near a handsome local, then joins Libby for makeovers. Nora gets bangs and a softer color; Libby chooses bold pink—sparking sisterly reassurance and renewed commitment to being there for each other.
Summary
Nora wakes in Lily Cottage from a recurring dream where she and Libby return to their old apartment and briefly “find” their mother alive before she vanishes, jolting Nora awake. The loss reopens her homesickness for New York and underscores her ongoing orphaned feeling and complicated family history.
Restless, Nora goes for a dawn run, absorbing the misty woods and pasture. She spots the handsome man from the coffee shop tending horses, panics over whether to engage, then trips and lands in mud and animal droppings, choosing dignity-by-retreat over introducing herself.
Later, at a Publix out of town, Libby proposes they pick each other’s makeover looks to spark transformation. Nora, wary but devoted to supporting Libby through pregnancy anxieties and financial strain, agrees. Back at the cottage, they secretly dye each other’s hair and trade trims while cooking brunch.
On reveal, Nora’s new feathery bangs make her ash-brown hair look intentional and flattering. Libby’s hair is Pepto-pink; Nora panics it’s a misstep, but Libby tearfully embraces it, linking the choice to teenage dreams and identity. The sisters joke about parenting and vices, then Nora explicitly offers steady support for any worries Libby has.
The chapter closes with strengthened sisterly intimacy: the makeover becomes a ritual of care, easing tension about the trip and signaling Nora’s commitment to Libby amid impending changes.
Who Appears
- Nora StephensProtagonist; haunted by a dream of her deceased mother, awkwardly spots a local man on a jog, agrees to sisterly makeovers.
- LibbyNora’s pregnant sister; proposes mutual makeovers, embraces bright pink hair, and receives Nora’s reassurance and support.
- Nora and Libby’s motherAppears in Nora’s dream, highlighting grief; vanishes mid-dream, triggering Nora’s loneliness and homesickness.
- Handsome local horsemanThe coffee shop stranger seen tending horses; prompts Nora’s flustered jog and muddy fall.