The Wish

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness and death.

Bryce and Maggie spend every day together, doing schoolwork then taking photographs. She thinks of how “important” he is to her. When a strong storm hits Ocracoke, Bryce spends the day with his family helping people secure their homes. He comes to Maggie’s in the afternoon to help Linda with her windows. Bryce tells Maggie he missed her during the day, and she gets the feeling that he wants to kiss her. He hesitates, then the moment passes. As they work, she takes a photo of Bryce on the ladder securing the window. She then takes the photographs to Bryce’s mother and asks her to develop them for her.

That evening, Bryce’s mother brings the photos back. She praises Maggie’s work, noting how a few of the photos—especially the one of Bryce—are excellent.

As Maggie looks through her photos, she notices the things that she did wrong, as well as how good a few of them turned out. When she gets to the photo of Bryce, she is shocked by how good it looks. She caught him at just the right angle, with him concentrated on his work and looking “naturally graceful” (200). As she looks at the photo, she realizes just how much Bryce has come to mean to her. She considers how, if she weren’t pregnant and only visiting Ocracoke, she would be interested in him romantically.

Overnight, the storm hits, and when Bryce comes over to take the boards off their windows the next morning, he invites Maggie to go out with him that afternoon to take more photos. As Maggie spends the afternoon with Bryce, she thinks about her feelings for him, noticing how attractive he is and how helpful he is to everyone. She also compares it to her friends’ relationships and her own, noting how looks were the most important part. With Bryce, she is more interested in his intelligence and kindness.

Back at Maggie’s house, she sits with Bryce on the couch as he looks at her photos. The baby kicks for the first time, which prompts them to talk about her pregnancy. She admits that she is nervous about labor and scared to give up the baby but knows that it’s for the best.

Bryce admits to her that he is nervous about going to West Point in July. He tells her how intelligent his brothers are—they already took the SATs and got nearly perfect scores—and how successful his father was in the military. His mother also went to MIT at 16. All of it makes him feel pressure to be successful, as well as jealous of their achievements. Maggie is surprised by this revelation, having always felt that Bryce was confident in himself. She assures him that he will make his own success.

When Maggie’s parents visit, Maggie feels disconnected from their lives. Her mother walks with her on the beach and brings up Bryce. She tells Maggie that she is spending too much time with him, then makes sure that Bryce’s parents are home when they are at his house together. Maggie tries to change the subject to her photography, but her mother dismisses her, insisting that she should be focusing on school and “remember” why she is in North Carolina.

One evening, Maggie talks with her aunt after her parents go to bed. She tells Linda that her parents aren’t happy to see her, but Linda insists that they are just trying to adjust to who Maggie is becoming. Maggie points out that they aren’t interested in her photographs. Linda tells her that, at the convent, it was common for pregnant girls to become interested in art to handle their emotions. Often, the parents didn’t want to see their work.

Later that night, Maggie thinks of why her parents wouldn’t want to see her pictures. She realizes that they are afraid to see the emotions that Maggie is working through with her work. She thinks of how they have so much “disappointment” for her right now that they can’t make room for any other emotions. Regardless, Maggie thinks of how much happiness she gets from taking photographs.

After Maggie’s parents leave on Sunday, Bryce comes over. They sit on the porch, and Maggie breaks down crying. For the first time, Bryce grabs her hand. He assures her that her parents love her—even if they don’t know how to show it right now. He also tells her that he thinks she is “amazing.”

Maggie notices a change in her relationship with Bryce. They begin spending even more time together, often for hours after dinner just sitting and talking. At night, just before falling asleep, she often thinks about the photo of him and how attracted to him she is. Linda notices the change in their relationship and often gently reminds Maggie that she is leaving soon.

One Friday night, Bryce asks Maggie to come over the next day so that he can show her something that he has been building with his brothers. He asks her to go to dinner with him, then come over to his house at night. He is incredibly nervous while asking, and Maggie realizes that they are going to have a real date for the first time.

Bryce and Maggie go out to dinner. They talk about Bryce’s grandfather, who fought in World War II, as well as Bryce’s plans after the military. He wants to be a professional photographer to travel the world and take pictures.

After, Bryce takes her to the beach, where he has set up a bonfire with a telescope. He gives her a necklace for Valentine’s Day, which is a gold pendant shaped like a shell with the words “Ocracoke Memories” engraved on the back. Maggie looks back on her time in Ocracoke and realizes that Bryce is in love with her.

Bryce shows her the stars and planets through the telescope. Then, he gets out a kite, which his brothers helped him attach lights to. As Maggie flies it, he leans in and kisses her. He tells her that he loves her, and she responds that she does, too.