Mabel and Marin prepared for a party by purchasing almost-identical dresses. The narration returns to the past tense, this time taking place in June. Inside, the potter offers Marin a job, having changed her mind. Marin is told no, and the girls go to a nearby café at which Mabel takes a call, giving Marin a chance to run back to the potter’s studio to buy a present for Mabel. Marin selects several objects to purchase and asks the potter at checkout if she is looking for any help in the store. She asked Gramps if such a thing might exist but was given bad news he claimed not to have any such photographs.īack in the present tense, Mabel and Marin take the bus into town where they visit a potter’s studio and store. A few days later, Marin was instructed by her school to find a baby picture that she wanted in the yearbook next to her senior portrait. In May, Gramps one day showed Marin a green dress he said Birdie sent to him. The narration again switches to the past tense. That night, Mabel and Marin cook dinner, and Mabel announces that she has a boyfriend named Jacob. Mabel brings up Gramps who has passed, but Marin protests she does not want to talk about him. Mabel invites Marin to spend Christmas in California with her and her parents, but Marin resists. The narration then returns to the present. Gramps never spoke to Marin about her mother he wrote often to his pen pal who he called “Birdie.” Marin and Mabel spent time together outside of class, often on the beach where surfers give Marin seashells in remembrance of her deceased mother who used to surf. In her senior year of high school, Marin and her peers acted as if they were not all about to go their separate ways. Marin remembers living with Gramps, with whom she shared a house for most of her life.

The narration then switches to the past tense, retelling events that happened in May of that year.

That night, Mabel arrives, and they talk about their respective colleges.

She attempts to decorate her side of the dorm room but fails, feeling that her efforts make her look even more desperate. This next morning, Marin prepares for Mabel’s arrival later that day. The next day her friend is scheduled to visit. Marin is alone in her college dormitory for the winter break. The following version of this book was used to create this study guide: LaCour, Nina.

We are okay