Contents
Chapter 4
Overview
Naomi cleans and prepares Jeremy’s parents’ apartment, then reunites with Teddy at school pickup. Casual gossip with friends turns awkward when Naomi mentions the renovation, and Teddy reveals Jeremy never told him about it. The disconnect and others’ looks intensify Naomi’s suspicion that she’s not getting the full story.
Summary
After a sleepless night alone in Jeremy’s parents’ dusty apartment, Naomi spends the day making it livable, cleaning surfaces, changing sheets, scrubbing a moldy tub, and stowing boxes so Teddy can stay there comfortably.
She arrives disheveled at Teddy’s private school and joins her friends Ashlyn and Cheryl on the lawn. They chat about Jeremy’s planned home renovation and drift into gossip about another mom, Cora Janzen, whose recent divorce and possible cosmetic surgery have made her a target of speculation.
When Teddy’s class is dismissed, Naomi is emotional seeing him. In front of Ashlyn and Cheryl, Teddy blurts that he missed her last night, prompting Naomi to explain they will stay in an apartment during renovations.
Pressed by Teddy’s confusion, Naomi realizes Jeremy never told him about the move; Teddy says they only ate pizza and watched TV. Ashlyn and Cheryl exchange uneasy looks, and Naomi, already unsettled by Jeremy’s abrupt “renovation,” grows more certain that a key part of the situation is being kept from her.
Who Appears
- NaomiMother who cleans the apartment, handles school pickup, and grows suspicious after Teddy’s revelation.
- TeddyNaomi and Jeremy’s son; misses Naomi and reveals Jeremy never explained the renovation.
- JeremyNaomi’s husband; initiates renovation, fails to inform Teddy, increasing Naomi’s doubts.
- AshlynNaomi’s friend at pickup; chats about renovations and reacts oddly to Naomi’s situation.
- CherylNaomi’s friend; joins gossip and exchanges uneasy looks when Naomi explains the move.
- Cora JanzenDivorced class mom; subject of gossip about cosmetic surgery and flirting.