The Girl I Used to Be

Olivia discovers that the person who spoke is Nora, her grandmother’s long-time neighbor and friend. Nora does not realize that Olivia is actually Ariel; she believes that Olivia is the new renter for the property. Olivia recalls many fond memories of herself, Nora, and her grandmother. She remembers that she ran to Nora after coming home at age seven to find her grandmother dead. Nora mentions the murders to be reassuring about the house’s history, allowing Olivia to question her about what she knows in a natural way. Olivia is surprised to find out that both Nora and her father’s family tried to adopt her after her grandmother’s death; Nora was rejected because of her age and heart, while her father’s family was rejected due to their refusal to admit Terry’s guilt and the perceived possibility that they would allow Terry to leave the country with her if he returned. Reassured by Nora’s lack of recognition and seeing an inconspicuous way to attend the memorial, Olivia offers to drive Nora to the service.

At the church, Olivia helps Nora inside. There are pictures of her father everywhere on easels, none of which she’s seen before. Nora asks her to stay until after the service to give her a ride home and Olivia agrees, both to be helpful and to have an excuse to stay.