67 pages • 2 hours read
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Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Mia begins a flirtation with Mark, the detective formerly investigating the case. Together, they speak freely about Mia’s mental health, and she shares the progress that she is making in therapy. Mia admits that her experiences have made her appreciate the miracle of life, and she now wants to be the best mother and person she can. Mark agrees that she has grown as a person and supports her progress. When Mark wants to talk to her about something, Mia hopes that he will ask her out on a date. Instead, he tells her that Dave never explicitly confessed to the murders. Mark wonders if Dave’s suicide invited others to draw conclusions without any direct confirmation that Dave was the serial killer. Mia disagrees; in her mind, there are no other suspects. Mark asks her to relive that moment in the shed with Dave and think through everything that Dave said. Mia is offended and snaps that reliving that moment will trigger her PTSD.
Mark apologizes and tries to redirect the conversation to more neutral territory, but Mia storms out of the cafe, furious. On her journey home, however, she replays the conversation and realizes that she was wrong. Practicing techniques that she learned in therapy, Mia reevaluates her behavior and decides that she overreacted.