Contents
Chapter 18
Overview
In a flashback night, Will gives Fern his portrait of her and opens up about his past: his mother’s abandonment, his anger, and living with his grandmother after getting into fights. Feeling seen, Fern reassures Will. Will then challenges Fern to choose her own path, urging her not to return to the resort.
Summary
Late at night, Fern studies Will’s sketch of her and asks to keep it. The drawing makes Fern feel truly seen, easing her fear that a “rotten core” might be visible if anyone looked too closely. Will agrees to give her the portrait, and their quiet intimacy deepens.
As they talk, Will mentions his excellent posture, crediting his grandmother’s strictness. Prodded by Fern, he reveals that after his mother left, he and his sister Annabel lived with their grandmother because he was furious and acted out.
Will explains he picked fights to numb his anger, earning the scar on his chin after being jumped by older kids. His grandmother stepped in with lectures about responsibility and choosing who to be, and Will decided he did not want to become like his mother.
When Will calls his mother selfish and critical, Fern counters that he is not like her, citing his patience and care. The reassurance matters to Will, and the moment turns tender as they mirror each other’s gestures, touching chin to scar.
Will finally tells Fern she should not return home to work at the resort if she does not want to, encouraging her to stay in the city she loves. Fern, weighed down by her mother’s expectations, admits there is more beneath the surface and resolves to tell Will everything.
Who Appears
- FernNarrator in flashback; moved by Will’s portrait, reassures him, and grapples with pressure to return to the resort.
- WillShares a portrait of Fern; reveals anger over his mother leaving, living with his grandma, and urges Fern to choose her own path.
- AnnabelWill’s sister, mentioned as having lived with their grandmother after their mother left.
- Will’s grandmotherStrict influence on posture and responsibility; housed Will and Annabel and pushed Will to choose who to be.
- Fern’s motherReferenced as pressuring Fern to manage the resort, shaping Fern’s dilemma.