A Thousand Broken Pieces

Savannah is now 17 and still living in Blossom Grove, Georgia, with her family. Rob, a therapist at Savannah’s therapy center, asks her to speak in a group therapy session. Savannah thinks about how she does not have Poppy’s outgoing nature, which sparks an anxiety attack. She runs outside to recover under a tree, and Rob follows her. Savannah struggles to breathe and wishes that she were free, like clouds. 

When Savannah recovers, Rob tells her about a five-country therapy trip for teens dealing with grief. Savannah is afraid to go, but Rob notes that Savannah is going to Harvard in the fall, so she needs to learn to be away from her family. Savannah realizes that she needs to recover so that she can function in college, remembering how her studies kept her mind off Poppy during high school. However, Savannah does not respond to Rob, instead staring at the clouds and seeing the shape of a cello in them.

Savannah visits Poppy’s grave, where she often tells her sister about her life. She finds a photo there and knows that Rune left it. Sometimes, Savannah watches Rune at Poppy’s grave when he visits from his travels around the world. He brings Poppy pictures to keep her involved in his adventures; Savannah knows that Rune has never loved anyone but Poppy. Savannah holds the journal that Poppy gave her before she died, which Savannah has never opened. Savannah tells Poppy about the anxiety attack and the therapy trip. She remembers that Rob told her that grief never goes away but that people can find ways to cope with it. Savannah laments Poppy’s death and understands that Poppy would not want Savannah to be stuck in her grief.

Cael Woods, an 18-year-old boy living in Massachusetts, shakes with anger as his mother and father tell him that he is going on the five-country therapy trip with other grieving teens. His father, a police officer, asserts that Cael does not have a choice, and his mother notes that the hockey coach at Harvard still wants Cael on their hockey team. His parents remind him that he has not done anything in the year since he graduated high school, but Cael yells that he does not care about college and storms outside. 

Ignoring the snow, Cael gets in his Jeep and screams, kicking the inside of the vehicle. In a rage, Cael drives to the ice rink, where he marches to the highest seats, out of view. Cael sees his former best friend, Stephan Eriksson, trying to score against their team’s goalie, “Shut Out” Timpson. Cael leaves, but Stephan catches him on the way out, telling Cael how much the team (and Stephan) misses Cael. Cael remembers that Stephan saw Cael’s brother’s death alongside Cael himself. Cael sees his brother’s jersey framed in the building’s entrance with a plaque reading “In Memoriam” and punches the glass covering it.

Cael gets back in the Jeep, ignoring Stephan, and drives to a pond. In a shed by the pond, Cael retrieves his skates and his brother’s hockey stick, recoiling at the sight of his brother’s skates. On the ice, Cael reflects on how hockey feels natural; however, his love of hockey reminds him of his brother, Cillian. Cillian taught Cael how to play hockey, and he always said that Cael was more talented than him. Cael feels that Cillian’s death ruined his dreams, which were to play hockey first at Harvard and then professionally as brothers. Cael shatters his brother’s hockey stick on the ice, and his anger over his father’s decision to send him on the therapy trip returns. Cael feels betrayed by Cillian, and he feels alone and apathetic.

In the hotel by the New York airport, Ida tries to encourage Savannah. Savannah says that Ida is like sunshine personified. Ida confesses that watching Savannah and their parents deteriorate after Poppy’s death has been as hard as coping with Poppy’s death itself. Savannah feels guilty that she has failed to be the kind of big sister to Ida that Poppy was to Savannah. They both admit that they look for signs that Poppy is in heaven, and Savannah hopes that Poppy reunited with Mamaw, their grandmother. Ida confesses that she sometimes checks that Savannah is still breathing at night. Over the last four years, Ida has watched Savannah isolate herself and become even more miserable, and Ida wants Savannah to take advantage of the therapy trip. Savannah says that she will try, and Ida jokes that Savannah might meet cute boys. Their father comes to get them, and they assure him that they will all be fine, which Savannah hopes is true.

At the airport, Savannah and her family meet Leo and Mia, the therapists supervising the trip. Leo and Mia introduce themselves and then the other teens that have arrived: Dylan, Jade, Lili, and Travis. Dylan is the only one who greets Savannah enthusiastically, hugging her. Cael arrives with his parents, but he does not say anything. Savannah feels an instant attraction to him, noting how tall he is and how many tattoos he has. She also senses that he is as closed off as she is. The families say goodbye, and Savannah’s parents hug her, assuring her that Poppy is watching over her. Ida says a boisterous goodbye, but Savannah feels a pang of anxiety when it is time to leave. Mia steps in to help, but Savannah powers through, saying that she is okay. Dylan checks on her, too, and Savannah notes a sadness in his voice. 

Savannah notices Cael on the other side of her; he looks down at her and shifts a little closer. Savannah feels Poppy’s journal and hopes that she can gain the courage to read it, asking Poppy’s spirit to bring her strength.

Cael thinks about talking to Cillian. He is not sure how to feel about Savannah; he feels comforted by her but also worried about her anxiety. Travis sits with Cael and asks him about hockey. Cael replies that he does not talk about hockey. Travis tells Cael about his interest in sports data, and Cael storms off. Savannah follows him and asks if he is okay, but Cael sharply tells her to leave him alone. Nevertheless, he likes Savannah’s sweet smell of cherries and almonds and her Southern accent; he also realizes that few people ask about his well-being as she did. On the plane, Travis apologizes, and Cael catches Savannah looking at him. He tells her that he is fine and thanks her for asking how he was. He then puts on his headphones.

After arriving in England, the group takes a bus to the Lake District. They arrive at a hostel, which Leo and Mia say is rented out entirely for the group. Dylan helps Savannah with her bags, making Cael jealous. Cael ignores the others until it is time for their group meeting. There, he cannot take his eyes off Savannah as Leo and Mia explain the trip’s regular group and individual therapy sessions. No one is forced to participate, but they all need to keep a journal on the trip. Mia encourages the teens to write about anything that they wish they could say to whomever they lost. Cael thinks about Cillian’s death—a car accident, though the implication is that it was also a suicide—and throws his journal into the fire. Leo calms him down, and Cael sees that his outburst upset the other teens. Cael nods to Travis as an apology, and Leo and Mia announce that they will spend their two weeks in England hiking and walking.

Cael throws rocks into the lake until his arm hurts. He is tormented by questions about why Cillian killed himself. Cael keeps a hockey ticket on which Cillian wrote seven words before his death, but Cael cannot bring himself to read them. He sees Savannah by the lake holding a different journal than the ones Leo and Mia handed out, and he considers going to talk to her. He wonders if Savannah could understand him, but he reminds himself that he does not want friends.

The group climbs Helvellyn Fell, a mountain. Thinking of Ida gives Savannah the strength to keep hiking, but she also feels like she has failed her family in her grief. When Savannah loses her footing, she smells the sea salt and fresh snow scent of Cael behind her. Cael holds Savannah by the waist as the group turns to check on Savannah, who says that she is fine. They continue the hike, with Cael and Savannah walking with their arms linked. When they stop for water, she thinks about Ida’s provocative text messages about Cael. Ida reminded Savannah that their father was angry for months after Poppy died, which makes Savannah think that the real Cael is buried beneath his anger. 

Continuing the hike, Savannah pushes herself until she hears Dylan mutter that someone named Jose would have liked the hike. Savannah remembers how Poppy helped people and rests her head on Dylan’s shoulder, crying with him. Dylan says that Jose was his best friend; his death is the reason why Dylan is on this trip. Cael urges them to keep walking. The group reaches the summit, and Leo praises them, making Savannah feel accomplished.

At group therapy, Leo and Mia guide the teens in a breathing exercise, and it works for Savannah. By contrast, Cael topples a table and leaves. Mia and Leo tell the others that grief may never go away but that they can learn ways to cope and move on. After the session, Savannah finds Cael untying a rowboat on the lake, and he invites her to join. He criticizes her when she considers whether they are allowed to take the boat, and she decides to go with him. He lifts her into the boat and rows hard out on the lake. Stopping, Cael asks about the book that Savannah is reading, and she tells him that it's a book about the English Romantic poets who wrote around the Lake District. He asks her to read him a poem, commenting that he likes her accent, and Savannah blushes. When Cael asks where Savannah is from, she tells him about Blossom Grove, prompting him to call her a “Georgia peach.” Savannah also mentions Harvard, and Cael abruptly brings them back to shore. 

Dylan meets Savannah on the shore and tells her about Cael’s hockey talent. Savannah resolves to find out Cael’s story and brings Cael the book that night. Cael thanks her and calls her “Peaches,” which makes Savannah feel good.

Savannah goes to an individual therapy session with Mia, who asks about Poppy’s death. Savannah struggles to talk, and she remembers the moment when she realized that Poppy would die. She and Ida went to visit Poppy in the hospital, and Poppy had lost her hair. Something in Poppy’s eyes told Savannah that she would not recover, but Poppy comforted her. Mia suggests doing something to get close to Poppy, and Savannah tells Mia about the journal that Poppy wrote for her. Mia says that Savannah should read it, and Savannah goes upstairs to get the journal. Sunbeams highlight the bag with the journal, and Savannah takes it as a sign. She goes outside and reads the first entry. In it, Poppy tells Savannah how much she loves her and Ida, expressing fear that her death will stop Savannah from living life. Poppy writes that the journal is full of messages for Savannah; she wants to provide her with a big sister’s advice and comfort even after her death.

Cael finds Savannah reading, and Savannah explodes in anger, accusing Cael of watching her and telling him that she does not need him. Her anger fades to sadness, and as it starts to rain, Cael leads Savannah to a small building on the lake. Savannah apologizes for her outburst and explains the journal and the first entry. Cael holds out his hand, and a sunbeam hits it. Savannah asks him to read the journal, and Cael reluctantly reads an entry. Savannah smells Cael’s sea salt and snow scent mixed with vanilla, which reminds her of Poppy. Cael says that Poppy loved Savannah, and he notes that Cillian died by suicide. Savannah cannot imagine what it would be like to lose Poppy in such a way, and they sit holding hands and leaning on each other. Savannah sees a vulnerable side of Cael, and they feel that they are experiencing similar grief.

In the hostel, Savannah researches Cael, finding pictures of him without tattoos and learning that Cael was supposed to play hockey at Harvard. Savannah feels that her fate was to meet Cael and wants to talk to Poppy. Savannah starts writing a letter to Poppy in her therapy journal, telling Poppy about her struggles with grief and her budding relationship with Cael.