Contents
Chapter 3
Overview
Naomi arrives at Jeremy’s late parents’ neglected apartment and confronts filth, possible pests, and unsettling noises. Discovering overpacked suitcases, she suspects the “quick renovation” is a cover for a longer separation or deeper problem. After a scare that turns out to be a tree branch, she chooses to clean and settle in.
Summary
Naomi drives to Jeremy’s late parents’ two-bedroom garden apartment, worrying about Jeremy handling dinner with Teddy but reminding herself this is a short renovation. She struggles to haul three unusually heavy suitcases inside and finds the long-vacant unit dusty, dim, and possibly infested, triggering thoughts of asking Jeremy for a hotel.
Determined to cooperate, Naomi explores the unit, identifying a tiny second bedroom for Teddy and a dusty master. As she unpacks, she notes Jeremy’s thoroughness—bras, toiletries, bedding, even medical textbooks—stirring memories of her former career and the possibility of reopening a practice now that Teddy is in school.
At the bottom of the second suitcase, Naomi discovers winter items and excessive packing for April, concluding the stay may be far longer than promised. She wonders if they face financial trouble or a house sale Jeremy hasn’t admitted and texts him: “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Startled by rustling and scraping at the window, Naomi fears an intruder and almost flees. She then realizes a tree branch is rubbing the glass. Relieved but unsettled, she accepts her tendency to jump to conclusions and resolves to stay, clean the apartment, and make it livable for Teddy by tomorrow.
Who Appears
- NaomiNarrator and mother; moves into the dusty apartment, suspects a longer stay, texts Jeremy, and decides to clean.
- JeremyHusband; orchestrated the move, packed extensively, raising suspicion about the renovation’s length and his honesty.
- TeddyNaomi and Jeremy’s son; absent but central to Naomi’s concerns about dinner and preparing a safe room.
- Marti RothJeremy’s late mother; her former apartment is the setting, now dusty and neglected.