One Day: Chapter 14 Summary & Analysis

Saturday, July 15, 2000. During the preceding year, Sylvie gave birth to Jasmine Alison Viola Mayhew. That night in the hospital, Dexter promised to himself to always do the right thing for the sake of his daughter. Forty-five minutes later, he broke that promise and sneaks a cigarette in the bathroom. Dexter felt like he was unprepared to be a parent. His extreme sports show had quietly ended, and he became unemployed. Also in the time since last St. Swithin’s Day, he and Sylvie have moved out to Richmond, Surrey, a place that Dexter feels too young to live, although the move did help distract him. He has ended Mayhem TV, which never produced anything anyway, and finally caved to call Callum about a job.

Now, on St. Swithin’s Day again in the year 2000, Dexter supervises a delivery for Natural Stuff, Callum’s company. A coworker recognizes him as someone who used to be on television, something that happens often enough to be annoying. Supposedly, Dexter is in line for an executive position, but Callum likes to make all his executives do month-long trainee programs with low-level employees.

Dexter goes home after his shift and runs into the two Polish builders who are helping with his new house, and they warn him Sylvie is feeling “tired.” He comes inside, and Sylvie immediately gets annoyed when Dexter calls their daughter “Jas” instead of Jasmine. Jasmine looks a lot like her mother. Sylvie complains about how hard it’s been being stuck inside all day taking care of Jasmine while the builders bang around outside. She has planned a “hen night” with friends, but she considers canceling. Dexter insists she should go out and he can take care of Jasmine.

Sylvie gives Dexter instructions for Jasmine, saying she should go to bed at 8:00. As Sylvie gets ready to go, Dexter thinks she looks amazing and remembers they haven’t had sex in about six weeks. As Sylvie looks at Dexter and scolds him for holding Jasmine’s head wrong, he knows she regrets ever getting involved with him.

Jasmine makes a lot of noise, so Dexter tries to feed her. While he does so, Suki is on TV announcing the lottery numbers, and Dexter tries not to feel jealous. He starts to feel like he needs a cigarette. Jasmine keeps crying, and Dexter considers having a drink and calling Suki later. He takes Jasmine with him in a baby harness and goes to buy booze and cigarettes. When he gets back, he drinks, then goes outside to have his first cigarette in two weeks.

Dexter goes back in to change Jasmine’s diaper, disgusted by the process. He tries to put her to sleep, but she screams whenever he leaves. He panics and tries to quiet her by giving her milk. She quiets and he leaves, pouring another glass for himself. He tries to watch TV but doesn’t understand new shows like Big Brother and none of his video games interest him either. He wants to talk to a human so he takes out his cell phone, realizing at that moment that he’s become drunk.

Meanwhile, in Whitechapel, Emma was promised a dinner party, but Stephanie Shaw and her husband are too busy with their child to cook. She doesn’t mind, although she long ago got tired of how much her friends talk about babies. She sees on her cell phone that she’s getting a call from Dexter but doesn’t answer because she doesn’t want to hear about his new dad problems. Emma keeps most of her opinions about how boring babies are to herself because she knows they’re socially unacceptable.

After finishing a voicemail to Emma, Dexter calls Suki on his cell phone. She’s at a party and doesn’t recognize his voice at first. Eventually, she recognizes him and remembers but is surprised, because she hasn’t heard from him in five years. She’s surprised he's home on a Saturday night, and Dexter almost tells her he’s married with a kid in the suburbs, but he gets embarrassed and decides not to. He suggests meeting up some time, but Suki says that’s probably not a good idea, given that he wasn’t that nice to her or even that faithful to her when they were together.

Dexter and Suki continue to argue while Jasmine cries in the background. Eventually Dexter hangs up and deletes her number. He grabs some milk, takes his wine with him, and goes to Jasmine’s room, telling her to shut up. She won’t stop crying and he panics, then gives her some medicine that is supposed to cause drowsiness. He tries playing her various music to entertain her. In his CDs, he finds one Emma sent him for his 35th birthday. Inside, it has a picture of them at Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, the day after graduation. Emma is Jasmine’s godmother.

The songs on Emma’s CD, which are the same as an old cassette she made him, make Dexter sentimental, but Jasmine seems to like them. Sylvie calls on Dexter’s cell phone just as “Fight the Power” starts playing. She’s surprised Jasmine is still awake, but he tries hard to act sober. She’s at a hotel room and plans to be back early the next day. Before she hangs up, Dexter says he knows he’s been failing as a husband and a father, but he wants to turn things around. After she hangs up, Dexter finally puts Jasmine to bed.

Meanwhile, Sylvie is naked in a hotel room with Callum. She says Dexter sounded really drunk, and she worries she should go home. Callum encourages her to stay. He fears she’s going to want to break things off or tell Dexter, but he personally doesn’t want to complicate things and feels that he’s done enough by getting Dexter a job.