Heartless

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of cursing.

“I see her jaw twitch. She’s getting sick of me asking her, but I don’t want to leave my boy with just anyone. He’s a handful. More than one handful. And I can’t accomplish everything I need to do on this ranch this summer without someone here to take care of him. Someone I can trust to keep him safe.”

Cade Eaton’s childcare conflict incites the primary narrative conflict and leads to the meeting between him and Willa Grant. This moment of interiority also grants additional insight into Cade’s love and concern for Luke and into the way he sees himself as a father. He is clearly balancing a network of responsibilities, and the realities of this daily burden convey the intensity of his work ethic.

“I’m not delusional enough to think that person exists, but I keep hoping for that anyway. And Willa isn’t the answer I was hoping for. Luke’s mom did a number on us. She continues to do a number on us—on me. My trust levels are at rock bottom.”

Cade’s reflections on his past with Talia introduce the novel’s explorations of The Impact of Trauma on Intimate Relationships. Cade is trying to reconcile himself to having Willa’s presence in his home for the summer, but his mind immediately shifts from her to Talia. The interplay of these two relationships in Cade’s mind conveys the heart of his internal conflict.

“I swallow hard when Luke pushes his soft little fingers between my own. I also swallow down the agitation I feel at the thought of someone—a mother, no less—not coming to visit a kid like this. The universe blessed me with two badass parents. Ones who would crawl through glass to get to me. I want to be that kind of mother one day. Fierce. Fearless. Sucking air in through my nostrils, I remind myself that it’s not my business. That I don’t know the full story. That maybe there’s a good reason for whatever’s going on with his mom.”

Willa’s relationship with Luke gradually changes her definition of family and contributes to The Search for Home and Belonging. In this passage, Willa’s thoughts drift as she contemplates Luke’s past, and as her analysis of Talia’s past actions causes her to define her own approach to family and motherhood, it is clear that Luke is already inspiring her to engage in more intense moments of self-reflection. Willa also makes comparisons between Luke’s family life and her own, revealing her empathetic nature.