Contents
Chapter 40
Overview
In a past timeline, teenage Mabel dresses up and lies to Cess and Ness to secretly meet Mr. Loukas. Their clandestine affair deepens, with meetings at his house, a school shed, and St. Mary’s. Mr. Loukas declares love, and Mabel becomes emotionally dependent on hearing it, revealing a formative vulnerability.
Summary
Then: Mabel prepares for a secret rendezvous, dressing carefully in a silk blouse, navy skirt, and her mother’s scarf. Cess and Ness, tipsy and affectionate, compliment Mabel’s striking appearance and tease her about a date. To conceal the truth, Mabel claims she is seeing her “Gilbert,” a playful Anne of Green Gables reference, and leaves.
After that night, Mabel and Mr. Loukas begin meeting regularly in hidden places—his house when safe, a school equipment shed, and a secluded nook at St. Mary’s. The secrecy heightens the thrill and binds them together through stolen moments and furtive touches.
Mr. Loukas tells Mabel he is in love with her, a declaration she both questions and craves. Having rarely heard “I love you” from anyone, Mabel becomes powerfully attached to those words, admitting she would do almost anything to hear them again.
Who Appears
- Mabel (Elsie)Teenage narrator; disguises a secret affair and becomes dependent on hearing “I love you.”
- Mr. LoukasMabel’s clandestine lover; meets her in hidden spots and professes love.
- CessGuardian figure; teases Mabel about a date and adjusts her scarf.
- NessGuardian figure; joins Cess in playfully probing Mabel’s plans.