Chapter 3 Apparently , Elliot hadn't expected Nora to go along with what he said so easily . He glanced up , surprise flickering in his eyes , that same odd feeling welling up again . But as Claire softly called his name , his attention snapped right back to her . He began comforting . her with all the gentle patience in the world . Meanwhile , Nora made her way to Jonathan's memorial . After paying her respects , she turned to the pale , grieving woman standing off to the side . " My condolences , Mrs Reeves . " Beatrice Gibson looked up and nodded slightly before gently taking Nora's hand . " You're Elliot's fiancee , aren't you ? Thank you for coming to see Jonathan " I heard you two were about to get married . He's a good man , you know ? He volunteered to observe a full six months of mourning for Jonathan . That must be hard on you . " Nora simply listened in silence . She didn't mention the absurd deal between Elliot and Claire . Yet , Beatrice caught the pain in her eyes and let out a deep sigh . " Elliot is almost like a son to us . Jonathan was his professor all through university , after all . Elliot is sentimental to a fault , and that's why he made this choice . Please don't blame him . " Nora had already moved on , so she wouldn't blame him . " I understand . " Seeing how gracious she was , Beatrice hesitated , then blurted out the rest , " Try not to be upset about Claire . She clings to Elliot , I know , but it's clear he doesn't have feelings for her . He … He really does care about you . " Nora stiffened slightly . He cared about her ? She had never felt it . Sensing her disbelief , Beatrice continued , " I'm not making this up . Jonathan and I always thought Elliot would bury himself in research and never fall for anyone . But then you came along . He may not show it , but whenever we saw him , he'd always find a way to mention you . " He'd talk about running into you on campus again , how you made him some special meal , or the silly things you'd do while chasing after him … Sure , he'd complain sometimes , but we could tell he meant the opposite . He just didn't realize it was love . " Beatrice kept talking about all the ways Elliot had cared for Nora without ever showing it . If it had been before , Nora would have been over the moon . But now , all she felt was bitter irony . If Elliot truly loved her , then why had she never felt it ? Why had she always been the one running after him , while he never once slowed down to wait for her ? If he loved her , how could he ever agree to have a child with another woman ? The second he agreed to Claire's plan , it was over between them . There was no coming back from that Throughout the memorial , Elliot stayed by Claire's side . Chapter 3 22 When the ceremony ended , the rain started pouring , and most of the guests had already left . Only then did Elliot finally pull up in his car and stop in front of Nora . " Get in , " he said flatly . Nora stepped toward the car , only to realize the passenger seat was already taken by Claire , and Beatrice was sitting in the back . Before Nora could say a word , Claire's trembling voice came through , heavy with sobs , " Elliot , I want to visit my dad's grave again , but I want it to be just the three of us . Is that okay ? " At that , Beatrice frowned . " Claire , don't be like that . " But those few words must have hit a nerve . Claire burst into sobs , " It's my dad's funeral ! She can get her own ride , can't she ? " Beatrice tried to comfort her , but Elliot had already made up his mind . " I'll come back and pick you up later , " he said to Nora , his tone leaving no room for argument . Then , he drove off with Claire and Beatrice in the car . Nora had seen this coming from the moment Claire first spoke . She stood under the awning , not sad or angry , just numb , quietly waiting for hours as the rain came down in sheets . However , Elliot never came back for her . As the downpour grew heavier , Nora finally accepted the truth - he wasn't coming . The funeral home was in a remote part of town , so it was impossible to call a cab . She hadn't brought an umbrella , either . In the end , she had no choice but to walk through the rain , her clothes soaked and her vision blurred . After nearly two hours of trudging through the storm , she finally made it to a place where she could flag down a cab and go home .