Contents
Chapter 32
Overview
Naomi and Ezra meet at her apartment to prepare for mediation but mostly process Teddy’s party exclusion and Naomi’s emotions. Ezra urges Naomi to remove her wedding ring, calls her beautiful, and reaffirms his commitment to winning custody. Mutual attraction surfaces, yet Ezra withholds further confession due to ethics.
Summary
At Naomi’s apartment, she and her lawyer Ezra debrief the latest tensions, especially Jeremy excluding her from Teddy’s class birthday party. Ezra and friend Cora’s advice helps Naomi refocus on making her own celebration for Teddy.
The conversation turns personal: Ezra admits he still wants kids but doubts timing and remarriage. Ezra then advises Naomi to stop wearing her wedding ring because it signals she hasn’t let go and undermines her case. After initial hesitation, Naomi removes the ring, recognizing the symbolism.
Ezra encourages Naomi, praising her strengths and calling her beautiful, which startles and heartens her. They share fortune cookies—one ominous, one lighthearted—mirroring Naomi’s mixed hopes and fears. Ezra reveals he still carries the quartz Naomi gave him for luck, reinforcing their growing trust.
As Ezra leaves, he promises to win the case and get Naomi what she deserves. A charged moment suggests mutual attraction, but Ezra pulls back, implying that saying more would threaten his professional ethics. He departs, leaving Naomi buoyed by support yet aware of new boundaries and possibilities.
Who Appears
- NaomiProtagonist; grapples with exclusion from Teddy’s party, removes her wedding ring, and senses growing rapport and attraction with Ezra.
- EzraNaomi’s divorce lawyer; counsels her to let go of the ring, offers sincere support, keeps her quartz for luck, vows to win, restrains personal feelings.