Content Warning: This section discusses death.

“One would crest, I’d live through it, and then another one would roll toward me in the constant ebb and swell that was the year.”

This passage uses imagery to capture the emotional ebb and flow of Sloan’s grief experience. The cresting and rolling waves symbolize the ongoing, unpredictable nature of her grief. Each wave, representing a new struggle or event, arrives with the certainty of the ocean’s tide. The language conveys Sloan’s resilience, showing her determination to face each day, no matter how relentless or exhausting it feels.

“Her life had kept its pace, and mine had crashed and burned when Brandon’s motorcycle did the same.”

Sloan’s life has two trajectories, one abruptly derailed by tragedy. The imagery of carnage refers to the literal motorcycle accident but also symbolizes a total upheaval in Sloan’s emotional and mental world. This contrast highlights the loneliness and isolation she feels as she copes with sudden tragedy while others around her continue unaffected. The passage underscores Sloan’s grief, portraying how the accident fundamentally altered her reality, leaving her disconnected from those whose lives remain steady.

“I felt like I was shaking out a dusty party dress I’d left balled on the floor of my closet for two years, hoping it still fit and the moths hadn’t destroyed it.”

The image of a neglected party dress illustrates Sloan’s attempt to re-engage with a part of herself that has long been abandoned. The dress, tucked away and forgotten, represents dreams set aside after trauma. Sloan feels a mix of anticipation and anxiety, wondering if she can still reconnect with her former self.