Holiday Romance

The novel takes place during the Christmas season, but it also serves as a symbolic thread that connects Molly’s emotional journey with her evolving understanding of identity and family. At the start of the story, she views the season with fatigue and skepticism, calling it “nothing but several weeks of expensive stress that will inevitably end in disappointment. How can anything live up to that kind of expectation?” (11). Molly’s cynicism toward empty holiday traditions masks her sadness and emotional longing. Her description of Christmas as something halfheartedly performed highlights how the celebration has become more of a scripted act than a genuine gathering or heartfelt occasion. She longs for more in her life, and dismisses an idealized, media-driven version of togetherness. Christmas thus symbolizes Molly’s emotional disconnection—the gap between outward performance and inner feeling.

Conversely, Andrew loves everything about Christmas. He wears loud, cheesy sweaters on the flight home and genuinely means it. While Molly rolls her eyes at the season, he fully embraces it, and his happiness begins to peel away her cynicism. In the flashbacks, he even bets he can make her enjoy Christmas, a lighthearted promise that reveals much about his character. Andrew and his family view the holiday as a way to show up for loved ones and find warmth in simple moments and traditions.