Same As It Ever Was: A Novel

In the past timeline, after Helen returns from Florida, Julia and Ben are at her house. Helen tells Julia that Nathaniel seems happier after their time together.

Later, Francine, the wife of Mark’s best friend, Brady, comes over with her friend, Monica and their children. Nathaniel knocks on the door. Julia goes outside and tells him to leave. Before leaving, he kisses Julia, and Francine sees them. Francine tells Julia that she won’t tell anyone about it.

A few days later, Julia went to Helen’s house. Helen seemed stressed. Julia offered her a nice bottle of wine she brought, but Helen said it was too sweet and opened a different bottle. Helen seemed concerned that something was “off” with Julia. Julia suspected their relationship might be coming to an end.

In the present timeline, Julia drives Alma to school after Alma oversleeps her alarm. In the car, they have a tense conversation about Alma’s calculus test. Alma tells Julia that Sunny emailed her about details for the wedding.

That afternoon, Julia reads Sunny’s email. She doesn’t understand the details, so she calls Ben, who is busy at work. After a terse conversation, Ben tells her to call Sunny if she needs an explanation of the wedding plans.

In the past timeline, Mark, waking at five o’ clock in the morning, comes into the kitchen to talk to Julia. He tells her that he loves her but that she seems unhappy. Julia says she loves Mark too but that she feels she doesn’t “fit” into their lifestyle. He tells her that Francine suggested a therapist for her. She reacts defensively, angry that he confided in Francine about their marriage.

After the argument with Mark, Julia went to Helen’s house and told Helen about the argument. Helen told Julia that she was self-destructive. Then, Helen revealed that Nathaniel told her about his affair with Julia. Helen suggested the affair was further evidence of Julia’s self-destructive tendencies. Julia said she didn’t “deserve” her family and her lovely life, and she left.

On the way to her car, she ran into Nathaniel, who was heading to the Russo family lake house. Julia asked if she could come too, and Nathaniel, though surprised, agreed.

On the way to the cabin, Nathaniel complained that his mother didn’t understand how hard it was now to “climb the corporate ladder” (174). Julia felt defensive of Helen and argued that she had it hard as a woman making a career for herself. Suddenly annoyed, Julia asked Nathaniel to let her off at a gas station along the highway. She called Mark from the gas station and asked him to pick up Ben from preschool and then to come pick her up at the gas station. He was annoyed and alarmed but agreed.

In the present timeline, Julia arrives home from her work at the library to find Alma and Mark sitting at the kitchen table. Alma reveals to them that she has been rejected from every school she applied to except Herzog College. She complains about all the stress she has been under to get into a good university, going so far as to take Adderall. When Julia tries to tell her everything will work out, Alma gets annoyed and storms off. Mark goes upstairs to comfort her.

Later, Julia takes Alma some boxed mac’n’cheese, and Alma apologies for her outburst. Julia comforts her.

In the past timeline, Mark picks up Julia from the rural gas station. He tells her he knows she has been having an affair. She apologizes profusely, but he doesn’t want to hear any details. She tells him she didn’t mean to hurt him but thinks on some level she was trying to give him an excuse to leave her because he deserves better. He tells her he doesn’t want her to see Helen and Nathaniel again, and Julia agrees.

In the present timeline, Julia calls her mother, Anita, to invite her to Ben’s wedding. Anita says she’s at work and can’t talk long. She thanks Julia for the invitation but says she won’t be attending. She asks Julia to wish Ben congratulations from her.

In the past timeline, two years after the gas station incident, Julia is pregnant with Alma. It is her due date. There is a knock at the door, and Anita is there. She said she was in town to get some things out of storage. She spends the day with them and gets along well with Ben. Julia begins to feel hopeful that her mother will stick around, but Mark is skeptical. Julia invites Anita to stay.

Six months earlier, Julia saw Helen at the library where Julia now worked part-time. Helen was with her sister-in-law and grandson. She was cool to Julia, but they chatted anyway. Helen immediately recognized that Julia was pregnant, even though Julia hadn’t told anyone but Mark. Helen told Julia that Mark’s “heart must at least be partially in it” considering that he stayed in their marriage and they were having another child (209). As she left, Helen told Julia that she was “always in [her] heart” (209).

In the present timeline, Anita stays with Mark and Julia for three days. Julia is thrilled she’s getting along so well with her mother. The third evening, while they play a card game, Julia reveals to Anita that she had an affair years ago. Anita says, “[Y]ou got that from your father” (212). Their tempers flare, but, not wanting to argue, they return to the card game.

The next morning, Julia finds a note from Anita reading, “Change of plans, had to run” (214). Julia feels let down. Then she reveals to Mark something that happened when she was 17. (The novel implies that one of Anita’s boyfriends had sex with Julia.) Mark is understanding with Julia and angry with Anita. That night, Alma is born.