One Day

On the first anniversary of Emma’s death, Dexter is in London, trying to distract himself from his sadness. He wants to celebrate Emma’s life, and he invites three of his staff members—Maddy, Jack, and Pete—for a night out. So, July 15 begins in a bar in Camden, where Dexter attempts to drown his sorrows. When he suggests they go to a strip club, Maddy refuses. They encourage him to go home. Despite their advice, Dexter, acknowledging that “grief has made an idiot of [him] once again” (293), calls himself a taxi to Nero’s nightclub. At the club, he drunkenly tells a girl that it’s the anniversary of his wife’s death, but she seems disinterested. He shouts at her, and the bouncer kicks him out of the club. He heads to an illicit underground dive in Soho, where, with no money left, he steals a forgotten drink. When confronted, Dexter hopes the man will hit him. He does, and Dexter lies on the floor laughing.

The narrative is interrupted by a letter from Ian Whitehead, dated July 15, 2005. Ian expresses concern for Dexter’s well-being and reminisces about Emma. He says he thought his life would crumble when Emma left him, but he’s now married with children. Ian encourages Dexter not to give up. He knows he and Emma were happy together and wishes him all the best. He writes that he will forever hate this date.

When he wakes, Dexter finds himself lying on the floor of his apartment, with Sylvie by his side. He cries, feeling ashamed. His daughter, Jasmine, is also there. He wants to reassure her, but he can’t find the words. Sylvie steps away to make a phone call. Suddenly, Dexter finds himself in his father’s car, headed to their family home in Oxfordshire. In the bathroom, he examines his bruised and scraped appearance in the mirror—the effects of his recent heavy drinking. He realizes that his breath smells like “something is decaying inside of him” (299), and feels purposeless without Emma. Sylvie calls him, and he shares his embarrassment with her—she’s broken up with Callum, and she and Dexter have grown close. Later, Dexter’s father advises him to try living as if Emma were still there. They sit together and watch TV.

In a flashback, Emma and Dexter have breakfast in her shabby kitchen. They’re annoyed by the presence of Emma’s flatmate, Tilly. Dexter suggests going to the pub or the cinema, but Tilly proposes climbing Arthur’s Seat. Emma and Dexter shop for picnic supplies and embark on their hike, with Tilly staying behind. During the ascent, Dexter finds himself more focused on Emma than the scenery. When Emma encourages him to take in the view so, he is impressed, despite his usual reluctance to show admiration—he “[has] a general policy of not appearing impressed by anything” (305). As they approach the summit, he wonders what will happen there.

It’s the second anniversary of Emma’s death, and Dexter is closing the shutters of the Belleville Café with Maddy. Their relationship slowly evolved from friendship to light romance. Dexter feels a shadow of grief over their relationship, but he appreciates Maddy’s sensible and thoughtful nature. They walk to the tube station together, holding hands. Dexter moved to a new apartment in Gospel Oak; Maddy usually stays at his place, but not tonight. He arrives home, where, so far, he’s only unpacked a few essentials. He calls Emma’s parents, and they express concern, asking him how he's doing. Next, he calls Ian, who’s busy putting his kids to bed. As he sits down for dinner alone, a wave of sadness washes over him. He describes his grief as akin to “walking on a frozen river” and “he hears the ice creak beneath him” (308). He rings Maddy and shares his feelings. When she offers to come over, however, he declines.

Dexter heads to the bedroom, where there are two boxes labeled “Emma 1” and “Emma 2.” The boxes contain Emma’s belongings from their old apartment, and Dexter spends the evening unpacking them, sorting through her possessions, and deciding what to keep. Among the items, he comes across a Polaroid he took of her in Paris, where she’s lying naked in bed. As he continues, he finds flyers from Ian’s comedy nights, postcards Dexter sent during his travels, Emma’s graduation certificate—dated July 14, 1988—and various graduation photos, where he recognizes Tilly and Callum. He finds a photo from the day after their graduation, on the mountainside of Arthur’s Seat.

The narrative flashes back to that day—July 15, 1988. On the summit of Arthur’s Seat, Dexter and Emma sit and drink champagne. Emma tells Dexter she feels embarrassed about talking so passionately about changing the world the night before. Dexter reassures her but says “it’s a shame the timing’s not better” (311). Emma says she had a wonderful time and encourages him to travel and discover himself. She emphasizes that she doesn’t expect anything from him and will cherish their night together. They agree to remain friends, and Emma captures the moment in a photo.

Dexter is awoken by his daughter saying she’s hungry—he’s in a hotel bed in Edinburgh with Jasmine and Maddy, staying for two nights before heading to a holiday cottage near Loch Lomond. Dexter wants to show Jasmine around the city, and Maddy, aware of the date, decides to leave them alone. Dexter takes Jasmine to Rankeillor Street to see Emma's old apartment; Jasmine doesn’t show much interest. He decides to take her to Arthur’s Seat. Up the hill, he points out landmarks to Jasmine and reminisces about his time there with Emma. When Jasmine asks if he misses Emma, he admits that he does, and when she asks who his best friend is now, he says it’s her.

Back on July 15, 1988, Emma and Dexter spend the afternoon on the hill, talking and laughing. As they head back home, Emma realizes they’ll soon have to part ways. She wishes for more time together. Surprisingly, Dexter grabs her hand and suggests going for a drink. Despite trying to appear nonchalant, Emma agrees, and, as they head to his apartment, she feels both anxious and excited about what might happen next. However, they find his parents waiting outside with dinner plans. Emma feels out of place and awkward as Dexter introduces her as a friend. Despite Dexter’s mother’s invitation to join them for dinner, Emma declines. As she walks home, she feels uncertain about the future—each day seems “more daunting and unknowable than the one before her” (321). Reflecting on her aspirations, she considers the idea of changing the lives of the people close to her through art rather than attempting to change the whole world. She doesn’t know how she will keep in touch with Dexter, because she doesn’t have his phone number or address. She hears footsteps behind her—it's Dexter, who chased after her. He apologizes about his parents showing up unexpectedly and says he wants her home address and phone number so they can keep in touch. They kiss and say goodbye, hoping to see each other again soon.