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Summary
Chapter Forty-Three
The night of the brothers’ fight, Belly goes to Jeremiah’s room to talk about Susannah. Jeremiah shares his frustration with Conrad. His mother had wanted their final summer together to be perfect. However, in Jeremiah’s eyes, his brother ruined the experience by acting distant and withdrawn. Jeremiah and Belly cry together, and she tells him she wants to spend the night in his room. They fall asleep on top of the comforter dressed in their clothes. It reminds Belly of the sleepovers they used to have as children.
The next morning, Conrad sees Belly slip out of Jeremiah’s bedroom, and he insinuates that something romantic happened between Jeremiah and Belly the night before. She considers telling him that it was only platonic but instead calls Conrad selfish. She says that she can’t believe she ever loved him, which leaves him at a loss for words.
Belly spots Susannah in the kitchen cooking breakfast, and she realizes that she missed several clues to Susannah’s condition, including the loose-fitting clothing she frequently wears. As Belly hugs her, Susannah asks if she’ll look after “him” when Susannah is gone. She does not specify which of her two sons she means, but Belly deduces that she means Conrad.
Later, Belly finds Conrad sitting on the beach, staring out at the sea. She starts to apologize, but he stops her and then shares that he’s angry with his mother. Watching his pained expression, she draws him into a kiss. He admits that he cares about Belly but isn’t ready for anything more. Understanding, she takes his hand, and they sit silently together as it begins to gently rain.
Chapter Forty-Four
During the last week of summer, Cam calls Belly, but she does not answer because she doesn’t know what to say to him. She knows she loves Conrad but feels she can’t share that with Cam. Jeremiah, on the other hand, acts as though he never told Belly about his feelings for her, which allows their friendship to proceed as it always had. Rather than focusing on Conrad, Belly decides to spend the last few days of the season enjoying her time with Susannah.
Chapter Forty-Five
It’s the last day at Cousins Beach. The two families clean the house to prepare it for next year. That evening, they eat all the food left in the refrigerator. Susannah informs the group that she has decided to suspend cancer treatments so she can focus on enjoying what remains of her life. That night, Belly invites Conrad and Jeremiah for a midnight swim. Playing around in the pool, they recite lines from Susannah’s favorite poem. Belly wonders if this will be their last summer together. Conrad tells her they will always come back to Cousins Beach. Then they form a whirlpool by spinning as fast as they can in the water.
Chapter Forty-Six
It’s the middle of winter, and Belly is back at home. She receives a call from a boy who tells her he’s driving to her house from Boston because he must see her. It’s after midnight, so she sneaks out of the house after her mother goes to sleep. Belly walks to a car parked at the corner and opens the door to find Conrad waiting for her. It’s the first time that she’s seen him since August. As she climbs into the car, she feels that every summer they’ve had together has led up to this moment.
Analysis
Rituals and traditions help the Fisher and Conklin families heal from their revelations as the summer comes to an end. On their last day at Cousins Beach, they clean the house together to prepare it for next season, creating the sense that there will be more of these gatherings in the future. They also enjoy their typical final meal by consuming the remaining items in the refrigerator. The familiar routines break the tension by providing an opportunity for bonding and jokes. In addition, Belly, Conrad, and Cam enjoy one final swim in the pool, reciting lines from Susannah’s favorite poem, a text they know so well that Belly compares it to the Pledge of Allegiance. The ritual takes her back to the days of marching along the beach arm-in-arm when they were children. All these memories of experiences shared heal the rift between the brothers, restore Belly’s relationships with the Fishers, and provide hope for the future. Although many things changed irrevocably changed this summer, preparing for next summer helps the two families feel hope that there will be other summers together in the coming years.
Learning about Susannah’s health crisis helps Belly put her own problems into perspective. When she discovers Susannah’s cancer has returned, Belly feels that she has wasted the summer months focused on boys and the beach. She wishes that she had been more aware of Susannah’s condition and how it was affecting the others. All the signs had been there, including the brothers’ behavior and the mothers’ trips into town, which were likely medical visits. However, Belly missed them because she was focused on crushes. The discovery also helps her bond with Jeremiah and Conrad in more mature ways. She comforts both brothers, consoling them in their sorrow. She also finally connects with Conrad in a romantic way, but without demands or expectations of him during his difficult time. Learning the truth helps Belly realize the importance of supporting the people in her life when they need her most.
The way the writer frames the ending provides an opportunity for readers to consider Belly’s different romantic connections throughout the novel. As Chapter Forty-Six begins, Belly reveals that a boy is driving from Boston to see her, but it’s not yet clear who. It’s just after Christmas, four months since the summer ended, so her relationship with this boy may have changed since then. With these questions hanging in the air, the reader is invited to guess which of the three boys it might be. While Belly did not get the answer she wanted from Conrad toward the end of summer, telling him the truth about her feelings and patiently waiting for a response shows emotional growth on her part. He was not yet ready to pursue a relationship, but four months later, he feels differently. Conrad is the mystery boy who shows up at Belly’s house, proving that the ups and downs of the previous summer plus all the summers before have led up to this moment. Conrad wants to be with Belly as much as she wants to be with him. The novel ends with them sitting side by side in his car, hopeful for the future.
