Remarkably Bright Creatures A Rare Specimen—Amazing Bones Summary & Analysis

Summary

A Rare Specimen

Tova goes to Janice Kim’s house to get help in buying a replacement t-shirt for Ethan, spending two thousand dollars on it. Unable to wait for it to ship before she moves out of her house, Tova decides to drive the three hours to pick it up from its previous owner. While she is on the road she receives a call from Charter Village asking if she will authorize their processing of her final deposit, allowing her to move in the following week. Tova thinks about Will and Erik, and wonders what could have gone differently in the hours leading up to Erik’s death that would have prevented it. The man on the phone shakes her from her daze, and she agrees to let them process the deposit.

Not Even a Birthday Card

Tova arrives late to clean the aquarium with Cameron, and ends up impressing him with the story of her excursion to get Ethan a new t-shirt. While they are cleaning, Tova shows Cameron where to clean under the sea lion statue; in doing so, she finds Cameron’s missing driver’s license. He moves to take it but she has gone still upon reading his last name, identifying him immediately from his last name as Daphne Cassmore’s son. Tova sits him down and tells him her story of Erik’s death, revealing that she now suspects she is his paternal grandmother. Cameron is shocked and confused, but slowly comes to terms with what she is saying. He returns to Ethan’s house that night, planning to apologize to Ethan for accusing him of spreading rumors, but Ethan is already asleep. While Cameron is going to bed Avery texts him and the two make plans for a date that week. Cameron falls asleep feeling content.

What If

Tova thinks about a time three years ago when Mary Ann told the Knit-Wits that her teenage granddaughter was pregnant, and Tova had felt jealous rather than scandalized. She thinks about the likelihood that Erik had been, unknowingly, in a similar position of fathering a child as a teenager, and wonders if it’s really possible that he was the one to get Daphne Cassmore pregnant. Tova is still skeptical, acknowledging that Daphne could have been dating other men, and it would be a lucky coincidence if Erik happened to be Cameron’s father. Cat comes to sit with Tova on the couch and she wonders, yet again, what she will do with the animal when she has to move to Charter Village.

Amazing Bones

Janice invites Tova out for lunch. After being seated at the restaurant Janice immediately begins to challenge Tova on her decision to leave Sowell Bay. Tova defends herself, stating that she doesn’t have children to take care of her and she refuses to be a burden to her friends. Janice says again that Tova is not a burden but ultimately accepts defeat, telling Tova that she and Barb will come visit her in Charter Village. The next day Tova goes to Shop-Way to buy groceries one last time. While in the checkout line she gives Ethan the replacement t-shirt and he is astounded, stating that she shouldn’t have, and that he’d give up one hundred of those shirts to redo their dinner that night at his house.

Tova goes to Jessica Snell’s office to sign the closing papers for the sale of her house. Jessica tells her about the family who is moving in, a family from Texas with three children, inspiring Tova, upon returning to her house, to go up to the attic and wonder if the children will use it as a play space as she once did. She spends the rest of the day packing her remaining things and wondering if she will ever find Daphne Cassmore. She longs to discover the truth of Erik’s death, but also acknowledges that the truth won’t bring Erik back.

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