Chapter 23

On a trip to Harriet’s childhood home near Indianapolis, Harriet panics at the doorstep, but Wyn reassures her and rings the bell. Her parents greet them stiffly, and dinner is tense despite Wyn’s warmth and easy conversation. He corrects assumptions about his career, praises Harriet’s research role, and tries to connect. Eloise appears briefly, cool but civil, then leaves.

After wine, Harriet’s parents reminisce about her reliability and success, revealing pride mixed with the weight of deferred dreams. In the kitchen, Mom advises Harriet not to rush and skeptically says she can’t see Harriet and Wyn making each other happy, assuming he’ll want a simpler, homebound life. The comment splits Harriet emotionally, underscoring the distance in her family.

Alone, Harriet and Wyn find solace in humor and explore the house, retrieving photo albums. The pictures map her parents’ early love turning into fatigue, Eloise growing sullen, and Harriet smiling harder as she excels. Wyn wistfully mentions future kids, prompting Harriet’s fear of failing as a parent. He counters that she’s good at loving.

Harriet then shares her childhood dread: constant financial strain, parental fights with Eloise, and private bargains to keep the family from falling apart by being perfect. Wyn firmly rejects her self-blame, insisting her parents’ choices aren’t her fault and affirming her worth.

Fearing love’s decay into resentment like her parents’, Harriet asks Wyn to promise they will end their relationship before it turns toxic. Wyn refuses to concede the fight for them, promising continued love rather than the protection she seeks. In a future reflection, Harriet comforts herself that they did the right thing by letting each other go.