The Guncle

During an uncharacteristic downpour, Maisie is secluded in her room despite a tenuous détente after brunch. Patrick orders a birthday cake for Sara that he hopes will brighten Maisie’s mood. They each make a wish for Sara and blow out the candles. He then makes a wish for each of the kids: that Grant's sense of humor carries him through life’s rough patches and that Maisie can build on her kindness and strength, traits she shares with Sara. He then plays one of Sara’s favorite tunes, and they all dance with joyous abandon.

That evening, Emory unexpectedly shows up at Patrick’s door and Patrick invites him in for a drink. What begins as flirtation becomes Emory reading Patrick like a book: “But you have this sadness. I see it” (274). Unsettled and yet attracted, Patrick invites Emory to his bedroom. They lie in bed together waiting for Maisie and Grant’s nightly intrusion. When the kids sneak into Patrick’s room, he flicks on the light, reassures them that his door is always open, and he and Emory playfully improvise a slumber party complete with popcorn and a late-night movie.