The Story of Arthur Truluv

When Lucille visits Maddy in her room, she sees the box of her mother’s belongings and asks Maddy about it; they share how they both would create miniature dollhouses and imagine the lives they would one day have, with Lucille reassuring her that “Some things come true. They might come true in ways different than we might have predicted, but some things do come true” (169). On the porch that night, Lucille, Arthur, and Maddy discuss baby names and plans for Lucille to sell her house. Arthur tells Lucille that everything is working out and there is no need to change anything right now. As they talk, Anderson shows up and tries to talk to Maddy, who begs him to leave. Arthur chases him off the property with a baseball bat. The season turns to fall, and the three of them watch the schoolchildren disembark the bus each day. Studying them, Maddy worries about making a mistake when raising a baby, to which Arthur replies, “We can’t help but make mistakes. The important thing is to keep trying. And to apologize when you need to” (178).