The Impossible Knife of Memory

Gracie and Topher were at the party at the quarry and are drunk. At Gracie’s request, Finn puts a large mirror on the ground so they can try to see dead people. Gracie and Topher fall asleep. Finn and Hayley close their eyes and try to let someone appear in the mirror. Finn asks about her mom, and Hayley says she was a parachute instructor. He asks about Trish next, but Hayley says he must tell her a secret first. He tells her that his older sister is a drug addict and is the reason his family has financial issues. Hayley recalls more memories of Trish and tells Finn that “she used to be [her] mom […] and then she quit” (247).

Hayley tells Finn about her past. Her mom died in a car accident when she was a baby. She then lived with her grandma until age seven, when Trish began to care for her. She talks about her dad’s four tours of duty, his injuries, and his problems after leaving the army.