First-Time Caller

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of cursing and gender discrimination.

“I’m a glorified answering machine. A sentient blob that listens to people vent. After six years of hosting Heartstrings, Baltimore’s romance hotline, I’ve discovered people don’t want to be told how to fix their lives or be held accountable. They just want to hear themselves talk and validate their own narcissism.”

The tone of this passage functions as indirect characterization and establishes Aiden’s frustration with his work, a recurring conflict. His metaphor likening himself to a “machine” or “blob” suggests he feels dehumanized and has lost his personal connection to his work. This informs his attitude toward those he works with; his emphasis on the “narcissism” of callers reduces them to a personality disorder, underscoring that Aiden no longer sees callers as individuals worthy of respect. Ultimately, this scene shows the reader who Aiden is before meeting Lucie changes his outlook and his identity, helping to establish the themes of Fear and Cynicism as Obstacles to Growth and Love as a Source of Security and Basis for Transformation.

“His voice is low. Rough. Like the storms that come in quick over the harbor and sit there, thunder rumbling, one rolling into another until the sky vibrates in your bones. Or maybe that’s my rage. I don’t know.”

Lucie is immediately drawn to Aiden, setting up the attraction between them before they even physically meet each other. Lucie uses a weather simile tied to Baltimore’s landscape, connecting Aiden to their shared community. Her shift from simile to remembering her anger adds a humorous element while reminding the reader that Aiden and Lucie’s initial relationship is not without some tension.