The Story of Tom Brennan: Chapter Nineteen Summary & Analysis

Tom's friends hassle him about having a birthday party, but Tom knows a party at Gran's house would be boring and he also wants to see Daniel. Brendan says that Daniel is doing better one morning as they run one of Brendan's hilly routes, specifically designed to get them ready for Everest. Tom is thrilled with how strong and muscular his body looks now. He attributes it to Gran's dinners, which he now eats for the most part. Gran is thrilled about that.

One morning, Brendan and Tom run to the river and jump in. Tom thinks about bringing Chrissy to the river and tells Brendan that he won't have to go to the overly chlorinated Coghill pool anymore. Tom remembers how seeing Chrissy there last year sent him into a tailspin. Brendan notes that Daniel is taking the mentoring thing very seriously and getting him into the crisis center was the only thing that saved him. They discuss whether Fin will actually go see Daniel, and Brendan suggests that Fin and Aunty Kath are still too preoccupied with simply figuring out how to care for Fin to think that far ahead.

As Brendan and Tom run back, they discuss their Everest climb. Brendan says that Tom will surely miss Chrissy, but Tom says that he knows she'll be waiting for him when he gets back.

The day before Tom's birthday, he drives to see Daniel with Mum and Brendan. It's a week after the anniversary of the accident, and Tom thinks he could do the security checkpoints at the jail in his sleep. Daniel looks better, though Tom thinks he still looks like a prisoner. Tom muses that no matter how horrible Daniel was, he's still his brother and he figures into every one of Tom's memories. Tom wonders what would've happened had Daniel died or been paralyzed, and he wonders if it's bad that he's happy Daniel lived, even though what Daniel did was horrible.

Brendan and Tom visit with Daniel while Mum talks to the social worker. Daniel wants to know about Chrissy and jokes that they've brought in strippers and alcohol for the prisoners. Taking a more serious tone, he says that Owen made a surprise visit the other day. Tom notes that he didn't see Owen at the game with St. John's. Daniel says that Owen was there and told him all about how much Bennie's improved thanks to Dad and Tom. Daniel tells Tom he's proud of him.

Mum arrives and says that the social worker told her that Daniel is doing a great job with Theo. Daniel says that it's going well; he and Jerry are finally starting to get through to him. Tom notices that when Daniel smiles, his eyes look just like Mum's. He marvels that Daniel's eyes look happy now, but they held such rage and hatred the night of the accident.

Gran makes roast pork for Tom's birthday dinner and cooks it perfectly. Chrissy makes a cake and Jonny brings party hats. Tom thinks that Gran's saints seem to be smiling at his family. Most of the gifts are items or money for the Nepal trip; Chrissy's gift is a travel journal in which she wrote notes for every day Tom will be gone. After the party winds down, Gran calls Tom into her room for his present. He knows it'll be birthday socks as usual. She pulls out a card with a saint on it, notices Tom's horrified look, and then says that card is actually for Father Vincent.

Tom asks her which saint was on the card. Gran says it was Saint Clare; she wants Father Vincent to find her a larger painting when he's in Sydney so that she can replace Saint Bernadine in her bedroom. Gran mutters that Saint Bernadine was never any help to her, and Tom remembers that Bernadine was supposed to protect gamblers like Pa. He asks Gran about Saint Clare, and Gran says that Clare saved her home and town. She pulls out an envelope and passes it to Tom, and Tom feels like he understands who Gran is for the first time: she turned to religion to protect herself from a marriage that didn't serve her. The envelope contains plane tickets to Nepal.

As Chrissy studies for her finals, Tom does his best to stay out of her way. He hangs out with Rory, Brad, and Jimmy at the pool. He feels bad about not telling them about the swimming spot at the river, but Brendan swore him to secrecy. Tom also keeps it a secret because he's decided to take Chrissy there after her final exam. On Friday afternoon, he discovers that she's been planning the same thing. He discovers a note on his bed from her, asking him to meet her at the river at seven the next morning.

The next morning, when Brendan sees Tom dressed to go for a run without him, he's thrilled. Brendan talks about how hot it's going to be, and Gran asks Tom to check the chickens later, as one is laying. She gives Tom detailed instructions and by the time she's done and in the car with Kylie and Brendan, it's 6:50. Tom races down the track to the river. He can't see Chrissy, but he's sure she's there and yells for her. Finally, he hears her giggling. She swims out from behind some water lilies, naked. Tom rips his shoes off and Chrissy says he can only get in the water naked. He strips off his boxers and jumps in.

Chrissy swims to Tom and he takes her in his arms. They tell each other that they love each other, and Tom says that Chrissy helped him find his old self after the accident. They swim to the shore, climb out, and have sex on the riverbank. Tom feels as though he's finally himself again.