Chapter 21

Contains spoilers

Overview

Millie and Andrew open a package from Andrew’s mother and discover baby items, reopening Andrew’s grief after learning he and Nina cannot conceive. Andrew mentions Nina’s past “sickness” and that she is older, slipping into the past tense about loving her. Millie comforts him, and a brief handclasp sparks mutual attraction before Andrew retreats. The items are set aside for donation, underscoring dashed hopes and rising emotional tension.

Summary

Near dinner, Millie eyes a heavy package Enzo previously carried in, addressed from Evelyn Winchester. Andrew arrives in better spirits and jokes about an early Christmas before confirming it’s from his mother, who dotes on Cecelia. He notes Nina was once “sick” and that Nina’s parents died long ago.

Andrew opens the box and finds baby blankets, rattles, dolls, and onesies. The sight devastates him in light of the recent news that he and Nina cannot conceive. Millie tries to comfort him, wondering if the doctor could be wrong, while Andrew explains they delayed trying because Nina had early issues and is older, and now the window has closed.

Millie is surprised Nina is older than Andrew. He accidentally says, “I loved her,” then corrects himself, exposing strain beneath his insistence that they still have each other. He plans to stash the box in the basement to give away or donate, an attempt to manage the painful reminder.

Moved by his sadness, Millie offers to listen. When their hands meet, both feel an undeniable spark. Startled, Andrew pulls away and leaves the room quickly, but he gives Millie a lingering look before disappearing upstairs, signaling a deepening emotional connection despite boundaries.

Who Appears

  • Millie
    Housemaid and narrator; inspects the package, comforts Andrew, and feels a mutual, charged connection during a brief handclasp.
  • Andrew Winchester
    Opens his mother’s package of baby items, is devastated by infertility news, reveals Nina’s past issues, slips into past tense about love, then retreats.
  • Nina Winchester
    Offstage presence; referenced as older and formerly “sick.” Her infertility with Andrew and strained marriage loom over the scene.
  • Evelyn Winchester
    Andrew’s mother; sender of the baby-gift package, inadvertently triggering Andrew’s grief. Known for doting on Cecelia.
  • Enzo Perino
    Earlier delivered the heavy box that sets this scene in motion; not present during the opening.
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