Five Feet Apart

Stella wakes up from surgery with her parents by her side. Julie comes to help transfer Stella back to her room. Transfixed by Julie’s pregnant belly, Stella sadly expresses to Julie, “You get to hold your own baby” (152). The two share a tender moment as Stella pats Julie’s belly for the first time and Julie conveys to Stella how important she is going to be in the baby’s life. Just as she drifts off to sleep, Stella sees a paper box with a red ribbon. She pulls the ribbons, “and the box unfurls into a handmade, colorful, pop-up bouquet of flowers, the same purple lilacs and pink hydrangeas and white wildflowers as in Abby’s drawing suddenly brought to life” (152-53). She calls Will and leaves a voicemail to thank him for the flowers. She falls asleep still staring at Will’s gift.

Stella wakes to Poe calling her on FaceTime and realizes that Will has still not returned her earlier call. Stella informs Poe that she has been in contact with his ex-boyfriend Michael, who still seems to care for Poe deeply. Stella pressures Poe to reconnect with Michael and visit his family in Colombia. Frustrated, Poe ends the call. Despite her insistence that her parents return home, they appear in Stella’s hospital room and express their renewed commitment to be there for Stella as a united front.