Just for the Summer
by Abby Jimenez
Contents
Chapter 39: Justin
Overview
Justin rushes to Neil’s house after Amber’s latest destructive spiral and, through Maddy’s warning and Emma’s collapse, finally sees how deeply Amber’s instability controls Emma’s life. Helping clean up before Neil returns makes Justin understand that Emma has spent years managing damage she did not cause and that her withdrawal afterward is part of surviving it.
When Emma shuts down on the eve of her birthday, Justin brings her home and takes responsibility for caring for her despite the strain on his already crowded life. The chapter deepens Justin’s understanding of Emma’s trauma and confirms his commitment to loving her through difficulty, not just in easier moments.
Summary
After Maddy texts him about the scene at Neil’s house, Justin leaves a meeting and comes straight over. Outside, he finds the yard still covered with Neil’s clothes and learns from Maddy that Amber caused the destruction. Maddy also warns Justin that Emma will get “small” after this kind of crisis: Emma will withdraw, need space, and must not be allowed to disappear. Justin understands from Maddy’s seriousness that Emma’s shutdown is dangerous, and he quietly commits to taking care of her.
Upstairs, Justin finds Emma in Neil’s closet rehanging clothes. Emma breaks down as soon as she sees him, and Justin comforts her. Emma explains that Amber is in the bathtub and that Neil is still away, so they have time to clean everything before he comes home. When Justin asks what Neil might do, Emma fears Amber will be thrown out, but also explains that Amber behaves like this repeatedly. That admission helps Justin grasp that Emma has been managing her mother’s instability for years with no real relief.
Justin, Emma, and Maddy spend the next hour cleaning the lawn and closet before Neil returns. Amber eventually emerges, but Emma gives up trying to make Amber help because managing Amber takes more effort than doing the work herself. Watching this, Justin feels anger as well as sympathy. He realizes Emma was likely forced into a caretaker role as a child and never got to be carefree. He also begins to hope Neil might persuade Amber to accept inpatient treatment, because otherwise the cycle seems endless.
By midafternoon, the cleanup is finished. Emma braids Amber’s hair and leaves her asleep in bed, then encounters Maria in the kitchen, where Maria coldly dismisses Amber as trash. Once outside, Amber’s immediate crisis over, Emma goes emotionally flat and exhausted exactly as Maddy predicted. When Emma says she wants to go to her studio, Maddy and Justin push back, and Justin persuades Emma to come home with him instead. He picks up Chelsea, settles Emma upstairs, helps Sarah with homework, and starts dinner while worrying about work and the strain of his overloaded life. Even so, Justin concludes that he will make room for Emma because he loves her, despite how hard everything has become.
Who Appears
- JustinRushes to help Emma, learns her shutdown pattern, and takes her home despite mounting pressures.
- EmmaCleans up Amber’s destruction, breaks down emotionally, then goes numb and withdrawn afterward.
- MaddyHelps with the cleanup and teaches Justin how to care for Emma when she gets small.
- AmberCauses another destructive meltdown at Neil’s house and remains largely unable to help afterward.
- MariaShows little sympathy for Amber and bluntly comments on the mess in Neil’s house.
- NeilAbsent homeowner whose room Amber destroys; his possible response shapes the cleanup’s urgency.
- ChelseaJustin picks her up as he folds Emma’s care into his family responsibilities.
- SarahNeeds homework help, underscoring Justin’s crowded routine while Emma rests upstairs.