chapter twelve

Belly describes how Mr. Fisher appeared only on select weekends and each August, commanding quiet respect. Susannah prepared his favorite drink, and he and Laurel bickered fondly. He always handed the kids money for “something sweet,” with Conrad in charge—signaling how much Conrad revered his father.

The reminiscence pivots to Belly’s own family fracture. After one summer, her father had already moved out, taking his cat Claude and prized belongings. At a strained lunch, he apologized for taking the cat; Belly deflected, masking hurt beneath annoyance at his new beard and the scene.

Belly visits her father’s mildew-smelling apartment, where incense aggravates her allergies despite his promises to stop. The spare second bedroom with scratchy pink sheets and a bookshelf of well-meant purchases underscores his clumsy efforts to connect. He even squeezes a secondhand piano into the dining room for her, which remains mostly unplayed and out of tune.

Summers become Belly’s refuge from the sadness of custody weekends. After beach season, her father takes Belly and Steven to Florida to see Granna, who pressures him to reconcile with Laurel, not realizing Laurel drove the divorce. Belly reflects that her father—ever the puzzle-solver—admired Laurel even when he resented her.

The chapter closes on Belly’s view of Laurel as clear and decisive rather than mysterious: Laurel simply did not want the marriage. While the kids visited Granna, Laurel traveled alone to distant places, reinforcing her independence and the finality of the family’s split.