The Day Before
Contains spoilersOverview
On Thanksgiving 1984, Joan Goodwin returns from space and discovers her niece, Frances, has been left alone at boarding school. Joan confronts her sister, Barbara, who plans to leave for Europe and potentially move to London, and extracts written permission to take custody. Joan retrieves Frances, brings her home, and promises permanent care and unconditional love.
Summary
After landing safely and returning to her apartment, Joan Goodwin feels unmoored until she hears a series of messages from her niece, Frances, revealing loneliness and disappointment. Joan immediately calls the dorm, learns Frances is the only student left for the holiday with only a teacher, Ms. Green, for company, and hears Frances break down in tears. Joan promises to come get her, but Frances notes she needs Barbara’s authorization to leave.
Joan goes to Barbara’s house and confronts Barbara about leaving Frances at school while Barbara prepares to travel with her husband, Daniel. The argument escalates as Barbara claims Frances is manipulative and that Barbara deserves a new life; Joan counters that Frances is hurting and needs care. Pressed, Barbara admits Daniel is being transferred to London in the spring and that they plan to stay in Europe through the holidays, exposing a longer-term abandonment plan.
Joan demands a letter authorizing her to make decisions for Frances and remove her from the school. Barbara, defensive and tearful, signs a note on Daniel’s stationery and insists she does not want to see either Joan or Frances before leaving. Joan warns Barbara to call Frances on Thanksgiving and make it count, calling Barbara a monster as she departs.
At the school, Joan meets Ms. Green, presents the authorization, and informs both Ms. Green and Frances that Frances will not be returning after the weekend. In Frances’s room, Joan helps pack clothes, bedding, and Frances’s prize-winning essay. They leave together, sharing a brief moment of levity.
On the drive home, they stop at a diner where Joan tells Frances the plan: Frances will come live with Joan permanently. Frances, exhausted and emotional, asks if Joan truly wants her; Joan reassures her and comforts her as she cries. Joan outlines practical steps—re-enrolling Frances in public school and sorting out a proper bedroom as soon as possible.
Back in the car, Joan pledges lifelong, unconditional support, telling Frances she will never be alone and affirming that, though Frances is her niece, she has always been Joan’s. The chapter ends with Frances securely in Joan’s care and a new family structure solidified ahead of the holidays.
Who Appears
- Joan Goodwin
astronaut and protagonist; returns from her mission, confronts Barbara, obtains custody authorization, retrieves Frances, and commits to raising her.
- Frances Goodwin
Joan’s niece; left alone at boarding school for Thanksgiving, breaks down on the phone, moves in with Joan permanently.
- Barbara Goodwin
Joan’s sister and Frances’s mother; plans extended Europe trip and London move with Daniel, signs a letter granting Joan authority over Frances, resists responsibility.
- Daniel
Barbara’s husband; off-screen, preparing for travel and a job transfer to London in the spring.
- Ms. Green
boarding school staff member; present with Frances over the holiday, releases Frances to Joan upon receiving authorization.
- Marlon Ryan
physics teacher at Frances’s school; mentioned as an admirer of Joan’s work, does not appear directly.