Finding Cinderella
60 pages • 2-hour read
Colleen HooverFinding Cinderella
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Themes
The Role Serendipity Plays in Love
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of cursing.
Finding Cinderella is a romance story at its core, exploring the theme of the role of serendipity in love through the novella’s events. Serendipity is defined as a chance occurrence and the subsequent development of events in a happy or beneficial way. Serendipity plays a significant role in Six and Daniel’s love story, from their chance encounter in the maintenance closet to the rekindling and development of their relationship after a year apart. The love story between Daniel and Six may begin as luck or chance, but as their relationship progresses, it becomes clear that serendipity is not enough to create a lasting relationship: Love requires effort and the commitment to work through trials.
Serendipity acts as the kindling for Six and Daniel’s connection when Six happens to fall on top of Daniel in the maintenance closet at their school, mistakenly assuming that it was the bathroom. This chance encounter quickly turns into something more, as Daniel comforts a crying Six, feeling an instant connection to her:
In the course of five seconds we go from extremely awkward to kind of comfortable, like we do this all the time. It’s weird and normal and hot and sad and strange and I don’t really want to let go. It feels kind of euphoric, like we’re in some sort of fairytale […] Maybe she can be like Cinderella, and I’ll be her Prince Charming (3).
Although they are not yet in love, the scene sets up the rest of their love story. The use of fairy-tale imagery in this moment reinforces the idealized and dreamlike quality of their meeting, aligning their story with the romantic trope of “love at first sight.”
The role that serendipity plays in Daniel and Six’s love story appears again when they encounter each other a year later, not knowing each other’s identities. An important aspect of serendipity is that the chain of events following the initial occurrence follows a happy or beneficial trajectory. This is certainly true in the case of Six and Daniel’s relationship, which progresses to exclusivity after only one date. Their connection is easy and unfettered, owing to their original point of connection in the maintenance closet. Their mutual vulnerability during this second-chance encounter demonstrates how serendipity can serve as a gateway, but lasting intimacy depends on emotional readiness.
Interestingly, the original serendipitous encounter nearly results in their relationship’s demise as Six and Daniel struggle with the knowledge that they have had sex before and that the encounter resulted in a pregnancy and subsequent adoption. These scenes invert the happy trajectory that serendipity usually follows, adding some conflict to their otherwise easy love story. Their ability to work through this illustrates that their love is not just by chance or luck and that, despite the fortuity of their connection, love does not come without some level of effort and work. Daniel alludes to the role that serendipity plays in their love story, acknowledging that “neither one of [them] is even remotely prepared for it, but [he] know[s] [they] both want it” (86). The most they can do is take advantage of the situation when serendipity presents it, allowing themselves to follow the path set forth by their initial and subsequent encounters to ultimately lead them to a happy ending. However, this quote also points to the fact that their own belief and commitment to pursuing the fortuity that finds them is integral to their love story. They may not be prepared for love, but that they both want it and are willing to work through conflict when it arises lends solidity and endurance to their otherwise serendipitous connection. The role serendipity plays in love emerges as a powerful theme in the text, not as a magical solution but as a starting point—one that must be followed by vulnerability, acceptance, and emotional labor to evolve into something lasting.
The Meaning of Unconditional Love
An important lesson that Daniel learns throughout the text is the meaning of unconditional love, both receiving and giving it. Daniel asserts his feelings early in the text: “I think if a person is really, truly in love then it has to be unconditional” (56). Through his relationship with Six, Daniel’s learns not only how to receive unconditional love but also how to give it in return, especially when difficulties arise that challenge his conception of what it means to love someone unconditionally. This progression illustrates one of the novella’s core emotional arcs: learning that unconditional love does not mean a lack of conflict, but rather a choice to stay open-hearted in spite of it.
Daniel struggles with feelings of insecurity early in the text, stating that in relationships, he is often left feeling unaccepted for who he is: “With past girlfriends, I always found myself holding back from all the shit I really wanted to say. I’ve always felt like being myself with a girl wasn’t necessarily a positive, because I’ll be the first to admit, I can be a little over the top” (37). This description illustrates Daniel’s insecurity when it comes to relationships, specifically as it relates to his personality. He describes feeling like he needs to alter or change his personality to be palatable to others. This moment also highlights the importance of identity within love—Daniel’s yearning for acceptance reflects a deeper human need to be loved not in spite of one’s eccentricities or imperfections but because of them.
Daniel’s feelings for Six mirror those that he experiences from her: “I’ve been waiting patiently for Six’s flaws to stand out, but so far I can’t find any […] hers may just be deeper than other people’s” (34). Early on in their relationship, Daniel struggles to find anything that he does not like about Six. The statement at the end of this quote, that her flaws may just be more hidden than others, alludes to the conflict later in the text that is the true test of their feelings for one another. The foreshadowing here is subtle but clear—his expectation of flawlessness is unsustainable, and the moment he does encounter a flaw will determine whether his love truly is unconditional.
Before learning about Six’s pregnancy following their sexual encounter in the maintenance closet the year before, Daniel and Six’s relationship feels almost too good to be true. They like each other for who they are with no expectations to change one another, and they struggle to find anything that they dislike about the other. When the revelation about the pregnancy becomes known, as well as Daniel’s position as the father of Six’s baby, the unconditional nature of their feelings for one another suddenly comes into question. Daniel’s anger toward Six indicates an emerging condition for his feelings about Six: “You get pregnant with my kid and you worry about your reputation? Are you kidding me?” (101). Unable to understand her decision to put their son up for adoption and angry that she did not push further to try and figure out who the father of her child was, Daniel lashes out at Six, nearly resulting in their break-up. This moment marks a rupture in the fairy-tale-like quality of their relationship. Six, who has shown remarkable emotional grace up until this point, is met with blame and accusation for a choice she made in pain and solitude. Her initial reaction to realizing that Daniel is the father—sobbing, leaving, and being unable to speak—reflects how overwhelming it is to have her past suddenly collide with her present. That she returns, answers his questions, and continues to engage with him even through his anger is a sign of quiet resilience and maturity. Daniel’s outburst, while rooted in heartbreak, shows how easily ideals of unconditional love can fracture when reality becomes personal and messy. Suddenly, Six’s flaws seem upsettingly close to the surface for Daniel, and he struggles to accept them unconditionally. However, it is in the aftermath—when Daniel reflects on her choices, acknowledges his sadness, and offers gratitude—that the story explores how unconditional love is not a constant state but a conscious choice. Their bond ultimately survives because both of them continue to show up with vulnerability even in the face of disappointment.
While they take some time apart after their argument, Daniel has to make a crucial decision about how he wants to proceed when it comes to his relationship with Six. He apologizes to Six, telling her, “[Knowing] what we shared last year and now knowing what you had to go through and how it’s made you exactly who you are right now […] It blows my mind that I get to love you” (110). This quote is an example of how Daniel has learned to love unconditionally. Six’s pregnancy and subsequent decision to put the baby up for adoption are no longer deal-breakers for him. What, at first, seemed like a fatal flaw has made Daniel realize that it is the experiences Six has gone through that have made her the woman he loves. In this way, the novella presents a mature vision of unconditional love—not as blind devotion but as deep understanding and choice.
The word choice in stating that he “gets to love her” at the end of the quote is an acknowledgment of the fact that love, even unconditional love, is a choice that people make. Daniel and Six get to love each other because they have decided to accept each other for who they are. Their relationship has taught them each what it means to love someone unconditionally, and they are rewarded with a fairy-tale happy ending as a result.
Honesty and Vulnerability in Building Connections
A primary theme in Finding Cinderella is the necessity of honesty and vulnerability in building connections. Building connections with another person can be difficult because it requires vulnerability, which people often struggle with for fear of rejection. Through their relationship, Six and Daniel learn about the honesty and vulnerability required to form strong and lasting connections. The novella frames these emotional risks as acts of courage—ones that must be taken in order for genuine intimacy to form.
Daniel and Six’s anonymity to one another during the maintenance closet scenes fosters a space in which vulnerability and honesty can thrive. In the dark, their identities are a mystery to one another, a fact that enables them to divulge their fears and insecurities with one another much more easily than if they were meeting face-to-face. Six describes her anxiety about never falling in love: “What if I go through life like I am right now? What if guys continue to take me for granted and I do nothing to change it and I’ll have lots of sex, but never know what it’s like to make love?” (10). This moment captures a rare, unfiltered admission of fear—one that bypasses social performance and cuts to Six’s deeper emotional needs. The fact that it happens in the dark, between strangers, suggests that sometimes anonymity can be a catalyst for raw truth and thus vulnerability.
Six rejects Daniel’s suggestion that they turn on the lights before saying goodbye so that they can see each other: “Let’s not ruin it. Once we find out who the other is, we’ll find something we don’t like […] Right now it’s perfect. We can always have this perfect memory of that one time we loved somebody” (14). Daniel’s suggestion offers them an opportunity to be honest and vulnerable with one another by revealing their identities. Six’s statement speaks to the fear inherent in forming connections with another person, going as far as to suggest that learning the other person’s identity would “ruin” their connection. Thus, despite their obvious attraction to one another, their connection is severed as soon as she opens the door and disappears. Their initial connection cannot progress if they are unable to be honest about who the other is for fear of rejection. In this way, the closet becomes a metaphor for emotional safety—a space where truth is possible only because it is temporary and anonymous.
When they meet again, although they do not yet know about their former connection, Six and Daniel are better positioned to be honest and vulnerable with each other, building the foundation for a lasting connection that they were not ready for the year before. Their connection is immediate and intense, and both Daniel and Six are caught off guard by how much they feel about each other in a brief period of time. Instead of shying away from the intensity, however, like they did in the past, they lean into it: “This is scary […] I’ve never had a boyfriend before. I don’t know how this works” (51). Six admits that she has avoided relationships for her entire life on principle, and now, after one date, she is ready to call Daniel her boyfriend. He matches her vulnerability, speaking openly and honestly about his feelings rather than trying to feign disinterest: “I have no interest in faking disinterest […] I was literally about to drop to my knees and beg you” (51). This scene at the end of their first date is an example of how much Daniel and Six have grown in their willingness to be honest and vulnerable about their feelings. After the experience in the closet the year before and all that came after, they have learned that honesty and vulnerability are necessary not just in forming a connection but in sustaining it.
While their connection is building, they cannot sustain it for long without being honest and vulnerable about what transpired after they left the maintenance closet a year before. When they realize that they have met before, the scene is not one of joyous reunion: It leads Six to have to be extremely honest and vulnerable in admitting that she became pregnant and put the baby up for adoption while in Italy. At first, Daniel does not receive this information well, and they argue: “I turn around before I open my eyes, so I don’t have to see the look on her face again. I walk straight to my classroom and open the door, then walk inside without looking back at her” (106). Rather than admitting his pain and being honest about how much he is struggling with this revelation, Daniel turns away from Six, leaving her alone in the hallway. It is a rejection of Six’s vulnerability and willingness to be honest about what happened. This moment dramatizes how difficult it can be to stay present in the face of another’s pain, especially when the truth challenges one’s sense of self.
When both Daniel and Six continue to struggle with regulating their emotions, they are able to come back together again and discuss what happened between them. For their relationship to progress, Daniel and Six have to once more be vulnerable and honest with each other, apologizing and admitting that their emotional journey is not yet over: “I’m just sad okay? That’s all this is. I’m allowed to be sad about this and I need you to let me be sad because this is a whole hell of a lot to process in a day” (109). Daniel shows honesty and vulnerability with Six in this quote, assuring her that he wants to work through this with her, but is honest that it is going to take time for him to process all that he has learned. In doing so, he models a realistic and emotionally intelligent approach to intimacy—one in which hard truths don’t require immediate resolution but do require shared space.
Finding Cinderella makes the argument that honesty and vulnerability are key in building connections. The novel rewards Daniel and Six for their ability to be honest and vulnerable with each other, working through the conflict and complications that sometimes arise when honesty and vulnerability are valued. Daniel says to Six at the end of the novella, “And please don’t think this changes how I feel about you. If anything, it just lets me know that I’m not crazy. For the past month I’ve been thinking my feelings for you couldn’t be real because […] they’re so much” (110). Through sharing their truth with one another, even when it causes turmoil and strife for their relationship, Daniel and Six ultimately are able to form a lasting bond. Learning the truth about the pregnancy and adoption is ultimately validating for their relationship, as it provides important context for the reason why their connection was so strong in the first place. Through vulnerability and honesty, Daniel and Six are able to attain a lasting connection that they can build on.
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