Slow Dance

“Let him think he was too good for her. Let him think that Shiloh had gone to seed.”

While Shiloh waits impatiently for Ryan to pick up the kids, her tone conveys resilience, bitterness, and a strong desire to maintain her sense of dignity and control in the situation. The phrase "gone to seed" typically refers to plants that have passed their prime and are in a state of decay. Here, it symbolizes Shiloh's desire to fully sever her connection with Ryan, disappearing from his thoughts.

“That her final form was nothing like her larval stage. And not in the good, butterfly way.”

Being at Mikey’s wedding makes Shiloh reflect on her life with a mix of regret and realism. Her insect metaphor emphasizes the profound changes she’s undergone since high school, yet she undercuts the metaphor by framing her current form as undesirable and disappointing. Shiloh’s attitude highlights the struggle of reckoning with unmet expectations and the search for identity and growth in adulthood.

“She felt heavy all of a sudden. Like she was made of concrete. Like she didn’t have fully articulated joints.”

Mikey and Cary force Shiloh to dance at their senior prom, triggering her anxiety. Rowell’s simile and vivid sensory language convey Shiloh’s physical response to emotional discomfort, which inform her insecurities and behaviors as an adult.