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Chapter 28
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in It Ends with Us, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Cycles of Abuse
Naked Truths
Good and Evil
Chosen Family
Summary
Analysis
Six weeks later, Lily is visiting with Allysa and Rylee. Allysa tells her that she misses her and is considering coming back to work a couple days a week. Lily is surprised that Allysa misses her; she comes over every evening. Allysa admits she really misses getting out of the house, and Marshall can take over caring for Rylee now and then. They laugh. Since Ryle left, Lily finds that the only times she’s truly happy are when she spends time with them. No one except for Lily, Ryle, and Atlas know what happened that night.
Lily hasn’t been ready to talk to Allysa about her and Ryle’s separation yet, in part because she fears she will lose her best friend since she is siblings with her abuser. For the time being, Lily decides to exist in a happy medium between considering her future and enjoying the present time she has with her sister-in-law and new niece. Though Allysa doesn’t know it, Lily is gaining strength from the happiness and support of her presence alone.
Themes
Lily hasn’t told anyone about her pregnancy, either. The doctors told her that she was 12 weeks pregnant when she found out. Now that she’s 18 weeks into her pregnancy, she’s worried that her belly is showing, though she can hide it pretty well beneath large clothing. Lily is eager to tell someone, but she doesn’t feel like it would be right to tell anyone before she tells Ryle. She is committed to waiting until he returns in six weeks to share the news.
In many ways, the baby’s arrival functions a deadline for many of the decisions Lily has to make. It is noteworthy that despite the damage Ryle has done, Lily still feels he deserves to know first; perhaps Lily is willing to consider his feelings because the baby is a living memory of the love they shared.
Themes
Allysa asks Lily if she’s ready for Ryle to come home. Lily says yes, trying to emote as little as possible. Allysa wonders if Ryle has adjusted to the subway in Cambridge, and Lily responds that he has. Allysa hands Rylee to Marshall and drags Lily into her bedroom. Allysa explains that there is no subway in Cambridge. She demands that Lily tell her what’s going on, because she knows that Lily and Ryle aren’t talking. Lily breaks down and tells Allysa everything that has transpired since the night Rylee was born.
Allysa’s suspicion that Lily and Ryle weren’t talking demonstrates how attuned she has become to her best friend. She sees through Lily’s attempts to conceal her problems and opens up a space for her to confide in her. Though Lily had been afraid to tell Allysa what her brother did to her, Allysa proves to be exactly the support Lily needed.
Themes
The two women cry together. When Allysa catches her breath, she tells Lily that she knows how much Ryle loves her and has grown because of her presence in his life. Allysa admits that as Ryle’s sister, she wants Lily to take him back. However, she insists that as Lily’s best friend, she forbids her from doing so. They hold each other, processing their grief and anger. Lily tells Allysa that Allysa is her best friend. Once they’ve calmed down, Allysa’s excitement over Lily’s pregnancy wins out over her sadness. Allysa forces her to try on a maternity shirt. When she sees herself in the mirror, Lily realizes that she really can’t hide her bump anymore. Marshall walks in, and Allysa swears him to secrecy. He promises not to tell anyone. Together, Lily and Allysa begin planning a baby shower. Lily finally feels true joy about her baby.
Confiding in Allysa (and Allysa’s nuanced response) lifts much of the weight from Lily’s shoulders; Ryle’s abuse is no longer isolating her fully from others. In telling Lily she sees all the good in Ryle that has come from Lily’s presence, Allysa honors the earnest love Lily and Ryle share. However, she affirms that Lily deserves better than Ryle can give her—and Ryle deserves to suffer the consequences of his actions. As the family celebrates Lily’s pregnancy together, she is relieved to find that her chosen family is intact, even if she and Ryle’s relationship is falling apart.
Themes
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