Chapter Twenty-Three
Contains spoilersOverview
Dan asks to swap weekends and casually requests the old baby items for his new child, prompting Lila to refuse, lie that they’re gone, and then rush to dispose of them. Jensen helps her take the items to the dump, and they clarify their relationship as friendly but not romantic. Gabriel remains charming yet noncommittal, keeping contact without firm plans. At the school gates, Gene’s celebrity draws a crowd before he confronts Marja, leading to a tense, public apology that leaves Lila shaken.
Summary
Lila writes easily after securing her book deal and immerses herself in online “healing” language. Gabriel texts affectionately but remains vague about plans, while Dan calls brusquely, asking to switch weekends and to take the family’s old baby items for his upcoming child with Marja. Lila refuses, lies that she threw them away, and ends the call after Dan labels her impossible.
Determined to make her lie true, Lila loads the cot, car seat, and toys into her vintage Mercedes, which immediately fails to start. Jensen arrives with an invoice for the garden, revealing Bill has been paying; Lila insists on covering it. When the car won’t cooperate, Lila asks Jensen to drive her and the baby items to the dump.
At the dump, amid sorting and queues, Jensen gently asks if he has offended her, worried she has been avoiding him since their night together. Lila apologizes and explains she is overwhelmed, not rejecting him personally. They attempt to donate the cot but must throw the car seat away due to policy. Jensen reiterates he had no expectations; Lila confirms they are fine.
Back at the house, Jensen checks consent anxieties from that night; Lila assures him she was not too drunk and that they had agreed it wasn’t a “thing.” Jensen jokingly offers to consider making it more of a thing; Lila demurs, and they part amicably, with Jensen promising to charge her car battery later.
Meanwhile, Gabriel keeps up frequent, intimate calls and texts yet cancels concrete plans; Lila even collects his daughter Lennie once, only for Gabriel to rush off for work, leaving Lila both flattered and frustrated.
The next day, Lila brings Gene on the school run. Gene is recognized by multiple mothers and revels in attention, signing autographs. When Marja approaches, Gene realizes who she is and publicly challenges the silence between Lila and Marja, demanding acknowledgment. After a tense exchange—compounded by Philippa’s intervention—Marja apologizes to Lila and expresses sorrow for the children. Lila, overwhelmed by the spectacle and conflicting emotions, steps away.
Violet urgently reminds Lila about overdue school play costumes while Gene charms Mrs. Tugendhat, a fan, and later jokes that he wrote an insult disguised as an autograph for Philippa. Lila, exhausted, walks home as Gene muses about memorabilia and basks in renewed attention.
Who Appears
- Lila
Protagonist; refuses Dan’s request for baby items, disposes of them, clarifies friendship with Jensen, and endures Gene’s public confrontation with Marja.
- Gene
Lila’s father; anxious before filming, revels in playground fame, confronts Marja and Philippa, prompting Marja’s apology, then jokes about an insulting autograph.
- Jensen
Gardener and Lila’s recent fling; helps take baby items to the dump, seeks reassurance about consent, and agrees to remain friends.
- Marja
Dan’s pregnant partner; approaches for an autograph, is confronted by Gene, and apologizes to Lila for the affair and impact on the children.
- Gabriel Mallory
Widower love interest; affectionate via calls and texts, cancels dates, relies on Lila once for Lennie pickup, remains hard to pin down.
- Dan
Ex-husband; requests weekend swap and baby items, is refused, ends call angry, highlighting ongoing conflict.
- Philippa Graham
School mum allied with Marja; defends her publicly, gets sharply rebuked by Gene, becomes the target of his snarky autograph.
- Violet
Lila’s daughter; reminds Lila about overdue school play costumes and witnesses the playground commotion.
- Mrs. Tugendhat
Teacher and Gene fan; momentarily forgets costume concerns while charmed by Gene’s attention.