Summary

In Chapter 4, the narrator realizes how fragile her marriage is and does her best to get along with Tomas over the week following. After their usual breakfast at home one morning, Tomas walks with the narrator to the theater. She feels elated by his presence and disappointed when he heads back home. She crosses the street to her usual café, shocked to see Xavier standing outside. He insists on joining her. While ordering, he reveals that Anne “offered [him] a job” as her new assistant (52). This is what he wanted to tell the narrator last week. She feels suddenly embarrassed, realizing Xavier may be well-intentioned after all.

The narrator and Xavier walk to the theater. She explains the misunderstanding regarding her abortion. Xavier seems unfazed and asks if she ever wanted children. The narrator privately recalls the miscarriage she had 11 weeks into...