Chapter 24

On Thursday, the group picnics by icy water, naps in the sun, and hikes through dew-bright woods. Back at the shore, they trade small things they’ll miss about Knott’s Harbor. Harriet admits she’ll miss going to sleep content and waking still there, hinting at the sanctuary these trips provide.

They take the boat out at sunset, drinking and dancing as Bruce Springsteen plays. Harriet nestles against Wyn, their physical closeness reigniting desire and comfort. The moment is fragile, disrupted when Kimmy and Cleo joke about hypothetical marriage, pulling Harriet and Wyn back toward reality.

Conversation turns to weddings. Sabrina shares a cherished memory of her parents’ spontaneous outdoor ceremony when she was four, the rare time they were happy together. The story emphasizes how place and time can feel perfect, even if the happiness doesn’t last, and shows why Knott’s Harbor means so much to Sabrina.

When asked about their own plans, Wyn says he’d no longer wait for perfection and would have married Harriet anywhere, even immediately after proposing. His use of the past tense and the claim that such a wedding isn’t what Harriet wants expose their core rift. As the boat reaches the harbor, the spell breaks, leaving their unresolved desires and misaligned expectations starkly visible.