Chapter Twenty-five: A No to the NO
Contains spoilersOverview
Back home, the family prepares to use Anjeli’s letterboard and confronts how hard it is to replicate her work. A found June 20 transcript exposes Eugene’s pain over Adam’s lingering skepticism and the family’s roles, prompting Mom’s apology. Eugene can’t hit YES but refuses NO, signaling intent.
Detective Shannon reports Anjeli’s partner cited an Adam–Eugene conflict and called Eugene a “murder suspect.” The chapter ends with police arriving at the door with Vic, raising new stakes.
Summary
Returning from the hospital parking lot, the house feels unfamiliar and the family focuses on routine to steady Eugene. While Eugene showers, Mia, Mom, and John prepare to try Anjeli’s stencil letterboard, reviewing notes that show it took 91 hours for Anjeli to reach open spelling with Eugene and that family members often hinder progress due to longstanding trauma.
John’s review includes a video of Adam’s unsuccessful coaching, revealing how even small traces of skepticism derail Eugene. They then find the missing June 20 transcript: after a Helen Keller lesson, Eugene states the paradox that he can’t spell with Adam because Adam doesn’t believe, and Adam doesn’t believe because Eugene can’t. He criticizes Mom for infantilizing, John for minimizing speech’s importance, and Mia for valuing verbal brilliance, forcing the family to confront painful truths.
Mom apologizes and reframes her belief in Eugene’s latent language ability, then asks if they can try to ask about Adam. Eugene strains to hit Y for YES and fails, growing frustrated. Mom changes tactics: if he doesn’t want to try, spell NO. Eugene deliberately places the pencil down, signaling a refusal to say NO—read as willingness despite motor limits.
Detective Shannon calls: no hospital patient matches Adam. Anjeli’s partner, Zoe, says the park visit aimed to resolve an Adam–Eugene conflict and refers to Eugene as a “murder suspect,” though Shannon cautions about terminology. Immediately, the doorbell rings; police arrive, and to everyone’s shock, they bring Vic.
Who Appears
- Eugene
Nonspeaking son; struggles with motor planning; transcript reveals deep hurt; refuses “NO,” signaling desire to communicate.
- Mom
Apologizes for infantilizing Eugene; invokes language theory; patiently leads the letterboard attempt and reframes expectations.
- Mia
Narrator; prepares for the attempt; confronts her bias toward verbal intelligence; processes the transcript’s criticisms.
- John
Reviews therapy materials; quantifies practice hours; finds the June 20 transcript; supports the family’s attempt.
- Shannon
Detective; reports no hospital match; relays Zoe’s claim of an Adam–Eugene conflict and “murder suspect” wording.
- Zoe
Anjeli’s partner; says the park visit was to address an Adam–Eugene conflict; refers to Eugene as a “murder suspect.”
- Adam
Missing father; his skepticism burdens Eugene; subject of the conflict referenced by Anjeli’s partner.
- Vic
Arrives at the house with police, startling the family and shifting the chapter’s stakes.
- Tim
Detective partner; checks area hospitals for Adam and finds no matching patient.
- Anjeli
Eugene’s therapist; her notes guide the family; hospitalized and absent during the attempted communication.