If It Makes You Happy

“Along the sidewalks are A-frame chalkboards listing daily specials. Hanging wooden signs from awnings point out shops, like a pharmacy, a video store, and a bakery. Most floor-to-ceiling glass storefronts are decorated with window murals of more scarecrows and pumpkins. Another lattice sign beside the park reads COPPER RUN, as if we might have forgotten already.”

Michelle’s first-person point of view provides a detailed overview of Copper Run. Because Michelle is new to the rural New England town, she is keenly attuned to her surroundings when she first arrives. She is studying the passing scenes through the cab window, and noting all of the homey, cozy details that make Copper Run itself. Michelle is unfamiliar with such a quaint landscape, and can’t help feeling out of place. The moment establishes a contrast between Copper Run and Seattle, underscoring the differences between Michelle’s former and future lives.

“The man’s gaze finally meets mine, and suddenly, my shoes feel rooted to the ground. My stomach barrels down to the dirt. This is the man from Mom’s wake. That same sensation—the feeling of being seen, our eyes snagging—overtakes me once more. His eyes scan my own before tracing over me—from my cheeks to my lips and farther, to my fist clutching Rocket’s collar.”

Michelle and Cliff’s encounter outside the inn is their meet-cute, or the traditional romantic comedy introduction between the primary love interests. Michelle is immediately taken by Cliff, because she noticed him at Birdie’s wake and because he pays such close attention to her. The description of his eyes “snagging” on her figure conjures notions of electricity, static, or magnetism. Michelle and Cliff have an immediate connection, even before they become friends. The moment foreshadows their romance.

“The two words settle in my stomach. I came to terms with the fact that it’d be just me after the divorce. Honestly, it felt more comfortable than me and Allen. But having it said out loud again pinches my chest. My thumb twitches against my bare ring finger.”

Michelle’s arrival in Copper Run introduces the Challenges of Starting Over After Loss. Michelle and her ex-husband, Allen, only recently divorced, and Michelle is still adjusting. The image of her “bare ring finger” signifies her loneliness and singledom. Michelle does not want Allen back but she is unsure of how to assimilate her failed marriage.

“A few months after that, she wanted to go start a career in the city. She considered bringing the kids, but after I argued that they were settled here—that Copper Run was a good community—she left. I encouraged her to go. I had my bakery; she needed to find her dreams too. Unfortunately, it didn’t take much convincing.”

Cliff’s reflections on the end of his and Tracy’s relationship also fuel the novel’s theme of the challenges of starting over after loss. Like Michelle with Allen, Cliff does not wish that he and Tracy were still together. However, he is still adjusting to life without a partner. Tracy’s absence also disappoints Cliff’s longstanding notions of what the future would hold for him and his family.

“I’m bad at useless conversation, but I know one person who isn’t. And that neighbor is who I’m going to convince to be my friend. God help me. I walk across the driveway, cross on crunching fallen leaves, and stop short of Cliff Burke’s fence. I can do this. I can make nice with the snarky man next door.”

Michelle’s decision to visit Cliff and ask for help introduces Friendship as Scaffolding for Romantic Trust. Michelle has been reluctant to get close with anyone in Copper Run since moving. However, her challenges at the inn have exposed her need for support. This emotionally weighty moment depicts Michelle facing her fears and taking risks; her decision spurs her and Cliff’s platonic relationship, which will lead to their romantic connection.

“I wish she could see me now. I’m running her inn. I’m doing fine with my career in Seattle. People listen to me. I sell dreams and make them happen. No, I’m not just fine—I’m thriving. I’ll make her inn thrive too. Dear Sara. I slice the knife down. Pain sparks up my finger in an instant.”

Michelle’s internal monologue reiterates the conflict between ambition and rootedness. Michelle is settling into life in Copper Run, suddenly excited by “running the inn.” She is warming to the idea of being in a small-town community. At the same time, her mother’s legacy haunts and distracts her. As soon as she remembers that she does not technically belong in Copper Run, she cuts herself. The cut is a symbolic reminder of Michelle’s past and the life she is giving up.

“It’s not that I’m not ready to date. I’m ready for a lot of things—Michelle digging into my pocket last month proved that. The real concern is that I’m not sure who would want to date me. Copper Run wants to set me up, but they don’t know what it’s like to be with me all the time. Tracy wasn’t shy about telling me when I irritated her. I don’t need someone else voicing that again.”

Cliff’s internal monologue provides insight into his romantic confusion. On the surface, Cliff is confident and unaffected. He seems stable without a romantic partner and uninterested in pursuing a new relationship. However, his inner monologue reveals that Cliff would be open to romance, but fears replicating the same dysfunctions that defined his and Tracy’s dynamic. The moment shows one of the challenges of starting over after loss.

“People in Copper Run love calling me by whatever they like, even though I don’t think I’ve given the impression that I like it even once. But the familiarity—the sweet little smile Betty gives me as she hands me the bag of sandwiches—makes the insult not so bad.”

Michelle’s passing encounter with a Copper Run resident alters her view of small-town life. The passage underscores the conflict between ambition and rootedness. The old version of Michelle—a detached, urban woman—would be incensed by someone “calling her whatever they like,” but the new, low-key Michelle realizes that a nickname is a sign of endearment and acceptance. She is settling into Copper Run and learning to appreciate its quaint communal charm.

“Though, selfishly, it’s been nice, hanging out with her recently. I’ve been happier. Like my smiles aren’t as forced as usual. It’s become a game to see how often I can make her laugh. Michelle won’t laugh out of pity, so when I do get one, I know it’s real. I know I’ve cracked through yet another brick in her wall.”

Cliff’s first-person narration provides insight into how he sees his and Michelle’s complicated relationship. Cliff is able to understand Michelle in ways most people aren’t. While he knows that she has built a wall around her heart, he has discovered a way to “crack through” these metaphoric bricks. Cliff does not pressure Michelle to “relax” or take herself less seriously; instead, he encourages her to delight in life by making her laugh.

“I have a crush on my very unattainable friend. Maybe in another world, it could work out. I don’t know what world that would be, but it sure isn’t this one, where I’m a walking tornado and she’s beautiful, out of my league, and leaving in two months.”

Cliff’s internal monologue reiterates the nuances of his and Michelle’s friends-to-lovers dynamic. Cliff is falling for Michelle, but fears that a future with her remains impossible. He sees her as “unattainable” and “out of his league” because he believes that his complex home life is a “tornado” that the sophisticated Michelle would not want to be a part of. While the characters deeply care about each other, they have trouble owning their feelings and transitioning their platonic connection into romantic love.

“Are these butterflies around Cliff bad? Are they butterflies or moths? And in what world am I having potential butterflies at all? I’m having them in this one—this world, where we’re walking down busy streets and trick-or-treaters disregard sidewalks and cars putter through the crowds at a snail’s pace. I have butterflies for this small-town baker nestled in Vermont.”

The questions Michelle asks herself affect an anxious, interrogative tone. Michelle is nervous to admit her feelings for Cliff. She is struggling to rationalize her excitement in his presence, and the reality of her new circumstances. The scene she describes—walking through the Halloween streets with butterflies in her stomach—evokes a romantic, youthful mood. This version of life is unfamiliar to Michelle, which makes her question what she is doing and the veracity of her feelings.

“Copper Run is a fleeting moment for me, but for the Burke family, this is real. I’m indulging in temporary happiness at the inn. I can’t distract Cliff from what really matters. I haven’t had many close friends in my life, but I imagine that’s not what friends do.”

The Halloween incident with Brittany, Emily, and Rocket complicates Michelle’s perception of herself, her life in Copper Run, and her relationship with Cliff. She has let herself settle into her new reality, but begins to question her happiness as soon as things go awry. She immediately dismisses everything she has built, because she is afraid.

“I flick through order form sheets and click a pen with my thumb. I almost fumble it. I can’t help but feel on edge. We’re doing fine as friends, but there’s a tightening in my chest whenever she’s around now. Erasing the taste of her isn’t something I can do overnight—or in seven days for that matter.”

Cliff’s clumsiness in Michelle’s presence conveys his fear of losing her. He “flicks through order forms,” “clicks his pen,” and “fumbles”—repetitive and awkward movements and body language that convey his nerves. Since their Halloween kiss, things have changed between the romantic partners. They now have new expectations of their relationship, which confuses their platonic dynamic.

“I don’t want to go on more dates. I want Michelle. Not as a friend. Not as a fling. I want her. But I know who I am, and I know what our situation is. Michelle loves her life in Seattle. She wants nothing more than to go back.”

Cliff’s use of short sentences and fragments affects an assertive tone. Cliff is suddenly certain of how he feels about Michelle. He is able to name how he sees her and what he wants for the first time. This moment marks a pivotal shift in his and Michelle’s friends-to-lovers dynamic, and pushes their platonic relationship toward romance.

“I’ve got a life elsewhere. We can’t get close. It makes me sad. It makes me upset. Angry with myself. I like control over my own life, but somehow, I can’t get my wits about me around Cliff. He’s been the tornado barreling toward me since the day my taxi drove into town. I want my life back. I want normalcy. And he’s messing with it.”

Michelle’s internal monologue conveys her fear of abandoning her dreams and settling down. Michelle realizes how much she cares about Cliff, but also feels “sad,” “upset,” and “angry” that she is falling for her new friend because Cliff has obliterated her former sense of control. She compares him to a “tornado barreling toward her”—a metaphor which affects notions of destruction and that echoes his own description of his life (194). She feels powerless in his presence, and frustrated that she can’t ignore her feelings and focus on a more attainable goal.

“I have feelings. Happiness. Longing. Frustration. The tightness in my chest is so all-consuming that it feels like I’m getting shoved deeper and deeper into a six-foot grave I dug for myself. Oh, I have feelings for him all right. I have— The next thought makes me freeze. I think I might be in l—.”

Michelle realizes she is in love with Cliff when she watches him carve the Thanksgiving turkey—an image that suggests notions of paternal care, domesticity, and comfort. This is a pivotal moment in Michelle’s character arc. She is acknowledging her feelings for the first time, and thus showing vulnerability. At the same time, she compares falling in love to “getting shoved deeper and deeper into a six-foot grave”—a metaphor which conjures notions of death and burial. This morbid take on romance underscores Michelle’s fear of love’s powerful sway.

“I’m stunned, pressing into the cushions as I look up at the woman before me. She’s so proper with her black tights and Mary Janes and that emerald dress, hugging her hips and hanging off her shoulders. She’s a gorgeous city girl, dressed more for a New Year’s party than being here in my living room with a quilt draped over the couch and photos of my family hanging on the walls. We’re from entirely different worlds, but she’s here. With me.”

Cliff and Michelle’s opposites-attract romance creates tension and heat between them throughout the novel. Although Cliff and Michelle are engaged in sexual intimacy in this moment, Cliff remains “stunned” by their connection. Cliff is describing all of the surface differences between him and Michelle—primarily their aesthetics—which seemingly suggest logical reasons they should not be together. Even still, Michelle is “here. With me”—a reality which conveys the power of their connection.

“With Allen, it was all serious conversations and work. I think I craved the adult feeling of being wanted and respected. But with Cliff, it’s…easy. It’s respect, accented with adoration. It’s flannels instead of suits. It’s not going to fancy parties; it’s playing in the snow.”

Michelle compares her relationship with Cliff to her relationship with Allen in order to make sense of her altered outlook on love. She used to think she cared deeply for Allen and that their relationship made sense. However, in light of her new connection with Cliff, she realizes how “easy” and joyful love can be—it doesn’t have to come with emotional abuse. In the context of her new romance, she is also giving up old notions of “ambition” and “success” for a more humble, rooted, and stable dynamic.

“‘It’s great,’ he says. ‘You deserve every bit of success you get.’ I let Cliff be optimistic. I let him be happy—feeling emotions for the both of us…because I’m not sure how to feel at all.”

Cheryl’s job offer from Topsy’s complicates Michelle’s sense of the future. Michelle knows she has fallen in love with Cliff but does not know how to reconcile their dynamic with the possibility of her dream job back on the West Coast. She allows Cliff to be “optimistic” and “happy” on her behalf because she still hasn’t settled the conflict between ambition and rootedness.

“Cliff helps carry Sara’s suitcases inside, and the moment they fall onto my bedroom floor, the weight in my stomach plummets like an anvil to my gut. Sara’s officially moving in to run Bird & Breakfast.”

The image of Sara’s suitcases at the inn challenges Michelle to face the crossroads ahead of her. Before Sara came back to Copper Run, Michelle could embrace the delusion that her time in Vermont wouldn’t end. After Sara returns with luggage, Michelle must accept that her life is about to change.

“I won’t see his cocky smile burst at the sight of me. I won’t hear his low, husky laugh. I won’t hear his sarcasm and non sequiturs. I won’t hear his terrible jokes that make me laugh despite myself. I won’t feel his palm roam over my knee, onto my waist, and against my cheek. I won’t feel his hair tickle between my fingers. But most of all, I’ll be across the country, where I won’t be seen. Not really. Not like Cliff does.”

Olivia’s use of anaphora, or the repetition of a word of phrase at the beginning of successive sentences, affects a melancholy tone. Michelle is just coming to terms with the fact that she and Cliff will be saying goodbye. She is listing all of the things she will miss about Cliff when she leaves Copper Run; connecting them with the refrain “I won’t” relates them to her longing for Cliff. Michelle thinks that returning to Seattle is the best decision for everyone, but this emotional passage conveys Michelle’s heart. She is in love with Cliff and is struggling to accept that her desires have changed.

“‘But you’re in love!’ Her hands flail in the air before slapping down on her thighs. ‘Isn’t that good enough, Shelly? You’re in love with this town. This place. And Cliff. You are so stupidly in love with Cliff, and it’s so frustrating, watching you throw all this away. Him and the inn. And for what?’”

Sara offers Michelle perspective on her future and challenges her to follow her heart. Michelle has historically been reluctant to show vulnerability or openly admit her feelings. Sara encourages her to own how Copper Run has transformed her, and to embrace her new reality with excitement instead of fear.

“‘God, I love you,’ he says, shaking his head. ‘I love that you roll your eyes when I make stupid jokes. I love that you argue with your dog when you think nobody’s watching. I love that you have coffee at night and that you don’t dress up for Halloween. And I love how great you are with my girls. I told myself I would never ask someone to stay with me again. But I love you.’”

Cliff’s profession of love to Michelle at the airport is a direct allusion to Nora Ephron’s 1989 romantic comedy, When Harry Met Sally. The syntax and cadence of his profession mirror those of Harry’s profession to Sally at the end of Ephron’s classic film. Through this reference, Olivia affects a nostalgic tone, while ushering her characters toward their guaranteed happily-ever-after ending.