When Meredith and her family first park on the ferry to get to Martha’s Vineyard, Meredith accidentally kicks Wit in the face and give him a nasty bruise that persists throughout the events of the novel. Meredith often refers to how the bruise is healing or asks whether it still hurts. For certain wedding events, Wit is required to wear makeup to cover the bruise and make his face appear normal. However, on the day of the wedding, Meredith convinces Wit to leave his bruise uncovered and let everyone see his face as it is.

Wit’s bruise thus becomes a visible symbol of Meredith’s own trauma and healing process. As Meredith rebuilds the bonds between her friends and family members, she regularly observes that the bruise is healing; she also observes that despite such evidence of improvement, the bruise is still tender to the touch. Just like Wit’s bruise, Meredith’s own healing process is rough and slow at the beginning of the week, for she is emotionally bruised and battered from a year and a half of self-isolation in the aftermath of her sister’s death.

As the week progresses, and as Wit’s bruise heals, Meredith also heals. Becoming more in touch with her own feelings about Claire’s death, she also gains a fresh awareness of how best to relate to those around her, and while her grief is still tender to the touch (just like Wit’s bruise is), she is looking and feeling better.