Following All Too Well and I Will Survive, Everlong is about Zoe, who has to face unexpected and life-altering news. Just as is the case of Darcy’s and Lauren’s stories, this one also takes a deep dive into how Zoe’s situation forces her to do some introspection (introspection she may have been in denial about for quite some time).
Her journey is different from her friends’, as she doesn’t have the same career-driven objectives or any significant plan, other than figuring out things along the way. Instead, Zoe needs to consider what motherhood means to her, when her own mother left when she was a child and she’s never made much of an effort to acknowledge her feelings on the matter.
Unlike the other books, there isn’t a character (or a few of them) who’s a rival to Zoe. This was a very conscious decision I made as I plotted the story, and it boils down to two reasons.
First and foremost, I knew that Zoe’s issues were, for the most part, internal, and that she was the one stopping herself (subconsciously) from really moving on or going after things.
The second reason is, I didn’t want to portray Eric, Emily, or anyone in such a way that would lead to toxic relationships or something to that end. That wasn’t what this story is about; I wanted Zoe to find people who respect boundaries, who aren’t terrible at communicating, and who aren’t simply a one-dimensional obstacle.
In any case, Zoe’s story makes her revisit her past, the true extent of the effects of her mother leaving—and how it shaped most of (or all) her relationships—and what she wants for her future, as it’s the first time she’s giving it some serious thought.
