Don't Forget to Write: A Novel

That evening, Daniel arrives. He and Marilyn discuss their options. They could get engaged even if they do not eventually get married. To buy some time, Daniel could attend rabbinical school (despite not wanting to become a rabbi) and say that he wanted to wait to finish school before getting married so that he could properly support his wife. They could run away together and make their way, though it would be difficult with no family support. Marilyn writes a letter to her father, begging to stay with Ada and implying that she has met someone whom she could marry.

Marilyn edits her manuscript as she waits to hear back from her father. She asks Ada again about her second great love, but Ada says, “No. That one belongs to me” (356). A few days later, Marylin’s parents arrive unexpectedly at Ada’s house. Walter is furious and asks her to pack her bags immediately. Ada tries to argue that Marilyn has been an indispensable help, to no avail. Marilyn insists that she would be unhappy as a housewife and suggests that Rose is already miserable. Rose clarifies that she is happy with her life. If Marilyn does not come home immediately, her parents will sit shiva for her, which means that she will be dead to them for the rest of her life, with no hope of rekindling the relationship. Marilyn expects Ada to say something to fix the situation, but Ada simply tells her to pack her bags.

Marilyn cries in her room, and Ada comes upstairs to comfort her. Although Marilyn must leave now, Ada has “got tricks up [her] sleeve yet” (365). Marilyn says a miserable goodbye to Ada and Lillian. She does not want to go home, but she is glad that she got to spend time with Ada, and she knows that she needs to be strong to face what is ahead of her.

Back in her childhood bedroom, Marilyn feels trapped. She receives word that Ada and Lillian are back in Philadelphia earlier than expected. Marilyn and Rose talk about Rose’s summer with Ada. She sent Marilyn to stay with Ada not as a punishment but in the hopes of helping her sort out her life. She still cannot understand that Marilyn wants a different kind of life from hers. She asks to read Marilyn’s writing and says that she once dreamed of being an editor. Marylin gives her the manuscript.

On Saturday, Marilyn refuses to go to synagogue. She wants to go for a walk instead, but Walter insists that she stay in the house. After her parents leave, Daniel rings the doorbell. He tells her that he is willing to go to rabbinical school, which would buy them a two-year engagement. Out of other options, Marilyn agrees, provided that they do not necessarily have to get married after the two years are up.

Daniel returns to Marilyn’s house the following afternoon. He asks for Walter’s blessing and once again proposes. When Daniel says that he will go to rabbinical school and get married in two years, Walter says that he can marry now and live in the Kleinman household until his schooling is completed. Marilyn’s parents insist on a spring wedding. The phone rings, and it is for Marilyn. Lillian is on the line: She tells Marilyn that Ada is dead.

Marilyn is in shock. Lillian says that she went out to buy bagels, and when she came back, Ada had had a heart attack. Marilyn says that she will take the train to Philadelphia immediately to help Lillian with the funeral arrangements. Marilyn arrives, meets Lillian, and cries once she gets to her bedroom. Ada wanted to be cremated, which is against Jewish custom, but Lillian and Marilyn convince the rabbi to follow her wishes. Marilyn writes a eulogy for Ada.

Lillian and Marilyn attend the funeral. There are many attendees, most of whom are married couples who met when Ada matched them up. Marilyn sees Thomas and hugs him. He is there with his grandmother, John’s wife. The rabbi gives the initial address and says that his parents were one of Ada’s matches. Marilyn gives her eulogy, and for a moment she thinks she sees Ada at the back of the room. After the funeral, Marilyn and Lillian sit shiva and meet with many people who want to pay their respects. Thomas comes to the house, and Marilyn tells him about Ada and John. He is surprised but pleased to learn the truth. They exchange stories about Ada, and Marilyn asks if he knows who the second love of her life was. He answers, “Not for certain, no. But I think love looks different to different folks” (402).

Ada’s lawyer meets with Lillian and Marilyn to go over the will. Ada has left Marilyn nearly everything, making her extremely rich. Marilyn asks Lillian to stay in the Philadelphia house, but Lillian insists that “home was where Ada was” (406). She will go to Chicago to live with her sister. Marilyn tells the lawyer to give Frannie, Lillian, and Thomas a house each. Ada has requested that Marilyn scatter her ashes alone on the jetty at Avalon. After the lawyer leaves, Marilyn meets with Daniel and her parents in Ada’s study. She tells them that she and Daniel are staying together but will not get married. They can pursue their dreams without worrying about money anymore. Walter is angry, but Rose convinces him not to disown her. Marilyn’s mother encourages her to finish her book.

Lillian leaves for Chicago but promises to keep in touch. Marilyn gives Frannie the week off and then finds herself alone in the house. She goes to Ada’s room and finds Ada’s mother’s engagement ring, which she wants to wear to signal her connection to Daniel. When she examines Ada’s closet, she finds that it has a hidden door that leads to the closet in Lillian’s room. She considers this discovery “anticlimactic.” She also finds a photo album under the bed containing only photographs of Ada and Lillian together.

Daniel and Marilyn go to Avalon to scatter Ada’s ashes. Marilyn drives all the way there. At the beach house, Marilyn calls Lillian in Chicago. Her sister picks up and is very confused: Lillian is not with her, and she has sent no word suggesting that she is moving to Chicago at all. Marilyn is not sure what to make of this. Daniel and Marilyn go to the jetty, and Marilyn goes out alone with Ada’s urn. When she opens it, she finds no ashes. Instead, there is a photograph of Ada and Lillian holding hands, a postcard from Key West, and a note that reads, “My darling Marilyn, Live the life you want. Love whom you want. And don’t forget to write. XOX, Ada” (425). Abruptly, Marilyn realizes that Ada is still alive. She is in Key West with Lillian, and the two of them are not just friends and companions; they are a couple. Marilyn rushes back to Daniel and insists that they drive to Key West right away.