Debie answers “Can someone please tell me what happened...”

Jamie asked this question about Truly Madly Guilty:

Can someone please tell me what happened at the darn BBQ? I honestly can't stand another chapter to find out. This book didn't do it for me.

Debie

This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)[***SPOILER***
Not sure how far you got in the book but first there was a build up to Erica and Oliver asking Clementine to be a donor for them to have a baby. They asked Clementine and Sam right before heading over to Tiffany and Vid's for the BBQ. At the BBQ Erica overheard Clementine tell Sam the idea of donating her eggs to Erica was repulsive to her. That's why Erica started drinking (after having taken her anti anxiety medicine right before asking Clementine & Sam.)

Then the second reveal is that Ruby ends up floating in Vid's fountain. All the parents were preoccupied: Tiffany was giving a lap dance to Clementine (after talking about Tiffany's days as a pole dancer/stripper), Sam & Vid were watching Tiffany, Oliver was in the bathroom, Erica was in the house. So everyone had all this guilt about not seeing Ruby fall in the fountain (including Tiffany's daughter, Dakota who had stopped playing with the little girls and went inside to read a book.) But Erica and Oliver resuscitated Ruby and she's helicoptered to the hospital, where after a bit of suspense, she ends up perfectly OK.

Even later it is revealed that Holly actually pushed her sister Ruby into the fountain. Erica finally remembers everything...The cranky neighbor Harry (who they finally explain his backstory of losing his wife and young son in an accident at a fair) saw it happening from his window and banged on the window to warn Erica. Erica (drunk & affected by her medication) didn't realize that it was Ruby floating in the fountain and let time slip by before actually running to help. In the meantime, Harry had tried to run down to help, slipped, hit his head and died... yes, that's the real reason he died.
Ruby ended up being fine. Everyone felt guilty, but the worst thing was that Holly finally revealed to Oliver and the grandma, Pam that she had pushed Ruby into the fountain (for touching her purse with her rock collection) and they let Holly think it wasn't her fault and gave her no consequences for nearly killing her baby sister.
Clementine and Sam nearly divorce but don't. Clementime starts the process of donating her eggs, but when Oliver finds out the truth of how Clementine felt they decline. Clementine starts to see her relationship with Erica in a different light, but it looks like Erica will finally put some distance between her and Clementine and their "friendship." Erica and Oliver decide to go on a 6-month trip abroad and will look into fostering a child when they get back. (hide spoiler)]

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Truly Madly Guilty

by Liane Moriarty (Goodreads Author)

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