56 pages • 1 hour read
Rebecca YarrosThe Last Letter
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2019A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 10-14Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 10 Summary: “Beckett”
In her second letter, Ella says that she is glad that Chaos wrote back. She asks him what the scariest choice he ever made was and confesses hers: After already having sold off some of the land, she couldn’t bear to sell more, and so she mortgaged Solitude to pay for its renovations.
Beckett arrives at the hospital with Maisie’s folder, and a nurse assumes he is her father. Ella reassures him that it’s alright; she left the father’s information blank on the hospital forms as she didn’t want the doctors calling Jeff, her ex-husband. Beckett explains that he experienced absent and neglectful parenting in his childhood as he spent most of his life in foster care. He hasn’t seen his mother since she terminated her parental rights in court when he was five.
Ella introduces Beckett to Maisie, who takes an immediate liking to him and asks him to stay with them that night. She secretly confides in Beckett that she doesn’t want Ella to be alone. Ella gives in to her daughter and invites Beckett to stick around. After Maisie is taken into surgery the next day, Ella almost collapses in worry, and Beckett takes her to get some food.
Ella is holding onto Maisie’s pink teddy bear and explains to Beckett that the bear’s name is Colt. When the twins were five, they were gifted blue and pink teddy bears for their birthday. Colt took a liking to the pink one, and Maisie took the blue, naming them after themselves. The twins exchange their bears whenever they are apart. Beckett tells Ella that she has incredible children and that she is enough as a mother.
Beckett and Ella play Scrabble together and talk about his experiences in foster homes. When the surgery runs long, Ella begins to panic. They finally get an update: The doctors were able to take out all of the tumor and managed to save her kidney as well. Ella collapses in relief in Beckett’s arms.
Chapter 11 Summary: “Ella”
In his 21st letter, Chaos claims that he is not surprised that someone asked Ella out. He does not think she is undateable, though she views herself that way; in fact, he is half in love with her himself. He tells Ella to give herself a shot at happiness or to wait for when he comes to Telluride in January.
Two weeks after surgery, Ella heads out for a meeting at Maisie’s school. Principal Halsen and the district superintendent Mr. Jonas tell her that Maisie has not attended enough hours in school to legally complete kindergarten. Ella refuses to have Maisie repeat kindergarten, and the school suggests that Maisie be schooled at home, with her teacher coming in to teach her individually. Ella promises to think about it.
Ella waits to meet Colt at lunchtime and runs into another mother, Maggie Cooper. They spot Beckett, who brought Havoc in for Colt’s show-and-tell. Maggie tries to flirt with Beckett, but he immediately shuts her down. When Maggie gives Ella information about a soccer league for Colt, Beckett promises to make it work for Colt despite Ella’s protestations that she has no time. Colt is thrilled, and Ella allows him to skip the rest of the school day to picnic with Maisie. As they leave, Beckett promises to keep his promise and show up for Colt, Maisie, and Ella, too.
Chapter 12 Summary: “Beckett”
In her 18th letter, Ella talks about Jeff’s parents, who have never met the twins. After Maisie fell ill, Ella approached Jeff’s parents and requested that Maisie be added to Jeff’s health insurance as he works for them. They refused and washed their hands of Maisie completely; Jeff is dating a senator’s daughter, and the children are a liability to his reputation. Ella recently ran into them at a grocery store, and she felt overwhelmed. She doesn’t want to share Maisie with Jeff yet, but she realizes that Maisie may not get a chance to know her father if she wants to later.
After weeks of practice, Beckett and Ella take Colt to his first soccer game. Maisie insists that she come along, and Ella acquiesces. At the game, Beckett notices that Maisie looks exhausted, and he tells her she must take care of herself.
Colt’s team loses, and Beckett consoles him after, stressing that what makes a good man is how he handles losses. Colt congratulates the other team’s scorer, and Beckett tells Colt he is proud of him. Colt wonders aloud if this is what it feels like to have a dad, and an overwhelmed Beckett confesses that he has never had one, either.
Beckett, Ella, and the twins drive home, stopping for pizza on the way; Ella invites Beckett to join them at her place for dinner. Beckett steps out of his truck to pick up the food, and he orders Havoc to stay and protect the twins. When Beckett returns, he finds Havoc growling at an older couple who are trying to approach the car. From Ella’s expression, he realizes they are Jeff’s parents, and he orders them to leave.
After dinner at Ella’s place, she tells Beckett about Jeff. They got married immediately after graduating high school as she didn’t want to have sex before marriage. Jeff’s parents immediately disowned him, and while Ella’s grandmother was disappointed, she allowed the couple to live together in a cabin at Solitude. Ella discovered she was pregnant with twins four weeks later, and Jeff walked out on her when she refused to abort. His father sent across divorce papers and a promise of money if Ella terminated the pregnancy; she signed the former and refused the latter. The twins have never met Jeff but are curious about him sometimes.
Beckett prepares to leave, but Ella asks him to stay. When he declines, Ella thinks he must not be attracted to her. Beckett assures her he is, but he refuses to act on his feelings because she is Ryan’s sister. Beckett is terrible with relationships and doesn’t want to ruin things with Ella as he won’t get a second chance. Ella backs off, but she asks him to stay and watch a movie with her. They fall asleep together on the couch and are woken up by a panicked Colt claiming that Maisie is “on fire.”
Chapter 13 Summary: “Ella”
In his 13th letter, Chaos consoles Ella about having missed Colt’s play and reassures her that she is doing as good a job as she can. He promises to help Ryan build a treehouse for Colt when they come to visit in January.
Ella and Beckett rush Maisie to the ER, leaving Colt and Havoc behind with Hailey. Stricken, Colt thinks Maisie is sick because of the soccer game, but Ella reassures him before they leave that it is not his fault. At the hospital, they learn that Maisie has sepsis, and she is started on aggressive antibiotics. Ella is worried about her organs as she is just a few weeks post-surgery. Beckett and Ella wait together, talking about what it feels like to have a loved one die.
Dr. Hughes arrives, having heard about Maisie’s admission. She notes that Maisie would have been much worse off if they had arrived a little later. Beckett reveals that Colt said he heard her crying in his dream; when he woke up, she was burning up with a fever. Dr. Hughes reveals that the last round of chemo was not as effective and suggests another, more expensive route of treatment.
Beckett and Ella discuss the treatment, and Beckett is shocked to learn of her financial situation and that Maisie’s insurance doesn’t cover the treatment. However, Ella is determined to find a way to make it work, as it is the only chance for Maisie’s survival. Ella falls asleep and wakes up a few hours later to discover that Maisie is responding to the medicine and is much better. Beckett sends Ella home so she can make it in time for Colt’s kindergarten graduation, assuring her he will stay by Maisie’s side. As Ella leaves, she realizes she is in love with Beckett.
Chapter 14 Summary: “Beckett”
In her 20th letter, Ella writes to Chaos about how she and the twins have moved into a cabin to keep Maisie secluded. It is almost Christmas, and she has had Colt and Maisie draw pictures of Christmas trees for Chaos. She confesses that what she is most looking forward to in the next year is finally meeting Chaos.
Beckett looks through the treatment information, trying to figure out how to get it for Maisie. Maisie confesses that she is upset to be missing kindergarten graduation. With the help of the nurses, Becket fashions a graduation cap and gown for Maisie and throws her a ceremony at the hospital. He gives a speech and urges Maisie to be brave, assuring her that she has her whole life ahead of her. He promises that he won’t let her die on his watch.
Some days later, Beckett and Havoc respond to a rescue call. Mark Gutierrez, the unit leader, has seen Beckett and Ella together and questions Beckett’s intentions. Mark was friends with Ryan and is looking out for Ella after everything she has been through recently. After the rescue, Beckett reveals to Mark that he worked with Ryan and is here at Ryan’s request. Mark apologizes for overstepping and promises that he and his wife, Tess, are always available to help.
On the way home, Beckett realizes that his own insurance will cover Maisie’s treatment. He drives straight to Ella’s and asks her to marry him.
Chapters 10-14 Analysis
As Maisie’s treatment intensifies in these chapters, Beckett and Ella grow closer, with their interactions and choices adding depth to their early characterizations. Ella is a fierce and protective mother, putting her children’s well-being ahead of everything else. Her conversation with Maisie’s principal and teacher exemplifies her willingness to oppose authority to ensure that Maisie’s best interests are prioritized. Ella’s dedication as a mother even sees her second-guessing her decision to keep Maisie and Colt away from Jeff, as she doesn’t know whether Maisie will have the time to choose to get to know her father. This mindset is in line with Ella’s confession to Chaos earlier in the book—she is not so much the center of her children’s universe as she is their gravity, willing to loosen up over time. Ella’s commitment to her children is mirrored by Beckett’s steadfastness to her as he continues to show up for her and the children time and again, unwavering in the face of other women’s advances toward him as well. The protagonists’ shared values contribute to their growing intimacy and alignment, even as the letters that begin each chapter serve as a reminder of Beckett’s deception.
Beckett’s ability to commit deeply stands in contrast with his own self-assessment in his letters as Chaos, underscoring that a negative self-image can be both limiting and inaccurate. He writes that he finds it difficult to connect with people, positioning his past broken relationships as a fundamental character flaw. However, like Ella, Beckett’s issues with connection also stem from a place of mistrust bred by childhood experiences. Beckett tells Ella about his childhood growing up in foster care, where he lacked consistent family support. His upbringing colors his worldview about relationships and his own capability of maintaining them. However, Beckett’s behavior is at odds with what he believes of himself. He earns not just Ella’s conditional trust over time but the twins’ unconditional trust as well. He shows up for Colt in multiple ways, from the show-and-tell at school to soccer games and practices, and even earns Maisie’s immediate approval, despite Ella’s earlier assertion that she is more careful with whom she opens up to. This instant connection is a strong character reference for Beckett, underlining his true capacity for Building Trust Through Vulnerability and Commitment. This capacity is further underlined by Beckett’s request that Ella marry him, motivated more by his desire to care for Maisie rather than the romantic feelings he has for Ella.
Romantic feelings, however, are fast developing between Beckett and Ella, underlining another central theme in the book: The Healing Power of Love and Relationships. With Beckett’s arrival, Ella finally has someone to lean on during tough moments, and she no longer must do everything all by herself. She is able to break down and vent her feelings in challenging times, such as Maisie’s surgery or when she later falls ill, because Beckett is there to hold her up. Ella’s emotional release contrasts with how she constantly kept her feelings bottled up throughout the early phases of Maisie’s illness when she was trying to be strong for her children; it was only the news of Ryan’s death that finally broke her. As Ella allows herself to be more vulnerable around Beckett and rely on him more, she also comes to acknowledge that she is in love with him. However, Beckett, who has felt the same about Ella for much longer, refuses to act on these feelings because he still does not believe himself capable of successfully managing a romantic relationship. Though the two are beginning to rely on one another, their inability to fully commit to a relationship illustrates that both have further emotional wounds to heal.
Even in the absence of a romantic relationship, however, Beckett’s as-yet unofficial entry into the MacKenzie family contributes to both Ella and the twins’ ability to withstand grief and illness, illustrating how family bonds contribute to Resilience in the Face of Tragedy. Beckett’s counsel to Colt after he loses his first soccer game helps Colt deal with failure positively; similarly, Beckett’s support and presence help Ella survive tough moments with Maisie. Ella and Beckett’s shared experiences of surviving the loss of loved ones both contribute to their inherent resilience as individuals and connect them on a personal level; this connection, in turn, becomes a source of added strength for the entire family. Colt and Maisie’s sibling relationship also gives the novel’s characters strength. The twins are close, with Colt looking out for Maisie constantly and Maisie wanting to reciprocate her brother’s support where she can. Maisie attends Colt’s soccer game despite not feeling well, and Colt’s twin intuition, in turn, ensures that Maisie gets to the hospital in time. Their pink and blue teddy bears symbolically underline the strength of their bond. Beckett, Ella, Colt, and Maisie’s interconnectedness, bolstered by their shared experiences and mutual support, exemplifies how familial bonds and empathy serve as tools of resilience amidst tragedy and adversity.
The letters between Ella and Chaos continue to be a recurring motif throughout this section. The contents of these letters also offer some foreshadowing: Ella and Chaos discuss the scariest choice each of them has made, and both these choices are eventually revealed to be tied to Solitude and Telluride.
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