Summary

Chapter 5 jumps nine months forward, to Wellington in August. Kiki returns home from a yoga class, and only Jerome is home. He is sulking in his room, writing in a diary. Upon seeing his sadness, Kiki reflects on the past year, and it is revealed that Howard has had an affair with another woman, and that Kiki chose to stay with him. Kiki tries to convince Jerome to come to the annual outdoor festival and after protesting, he decides to go.

At the festival, Kiki tries to make conversation with a Haitian man selling jewelry. He does not seem interested in flirting with her, despite Kiki’s efforts. Jerome goes to get food, and Kiki runs into Claire Malcolm and Warren Crane. Claire is a noted poetry professor at Wellington, where Howard teaches, and Warren is a scientist. They have...