“Hollis Shaw is something of a unicorn.”

Hollis’s rarity stems from her not neatly fitting into any one specific group. She’s a Nantucket summer person and their hometown hero; she’s a domestic goddess who works hard in her career. Hollis’s grief for Matthew is nearly unbearable, but she also has strong feelings for Jack.

“Hollis presses her finger to her phone screen so the picture stays put. I want to go back, she thinks. Back to the days of sleepovers and fancy birthday breakfasts.”

Above all else, Hollis loves Caroline and dedicates a good portion of her life to being her mother. Hollis does not resent giving up her career to stay home with Caroline. She cherishes her daughter and feels hurt by Caroline’s hurtful accusations and cold shoulder.

“Gigi normally checks in on Tuesdays, Fridays, the occasional Sunday evening: Tell me about your day. How goes it? I’m here, I’m here, I’m here. Initially it feels odd texting with a complete stranger, but, Hollis reasons, people do it all the time on dating apps—Tinder, Bumble, Hinge. Soon it feels more liberating than odd.”

Gigi represents the positives of digital relationships, especially after Matthew’s death. Hollis feels more comfortable speaking to Gigi than any other friend she sees regularly. Gigi helps Hollis confront her feelings after Matthew’s death, and she is grateful for her empathetic friend.