Summary

Once Mira became an art critic, she regretted leaving “home so young” (44). She had left a comfortable life for a “difficult life” (44). She associated home with her father. He had “encouraged her to go out in the world,” but had wanted her to stay home with him (44). He had always “cherished and loved” her (44). Once he promised to give her “pure colour” (45, Heti’s italics). Pure colour “came in hard little circular discs” and looked like “polished stone or polished jewel” (45).

Now that she was older, Mira was unsure how to love her father. Being near him felt increasingly claustrophobic. Whenever she met someone who reminded her of him, she recoiled.

One day after Mira and Annie had been spending a lot of time together, Mira accidentally kissed Annie “on the back of the neck” (47). Because Mira felt...