Section 12 (pages 185-201) Summary

This section begins with John narrating the events of his seventy-seventh birthday. He eats his favorite breakfast of pancakes and sausages (with birthday candles stuck in the pancakes), has a picnic with his wife, his son, Tobias and Glory, and finds joy in seeing his family wearing the clothes he loves to see them in. His happiness is clouded by constant thoughts of Jack Boughton—the way John's son seems disappointed when Jack doesn't come on the picnic, the way his John's wife falls silent when Jack's name is brought up, and the way Jack hasn't responded to the note John sent. John takes a second note of apology over to the Boughtons and hands it to Jack personally. Jack reads it gratefully, and says he'd like to talk with John again. John agrees, and goes home. When...