Waverly realized then that she had erected a wall between herself and her mother. To her horror, Waverly began to lose tournaments. She lost her feeling of supreme confidence. She was terrified that she would no longer be a prodigy and would become someone ordinary. She quit chess for good when she was fourteen years old.
Now, Waverly is afraid that her mother will point out Rich's flaws and turn him into something ordinary. This is what happened to Waverly's feelings for her first husband, Marvin Chen. Waverly concocts a plan: Her mother will cook dinner for her and Rich.
At the end of the evening, Rich is sure that he has "passed the test," but Waverly knows that he failed miserably. The next day, angry at what she perceives as her mother's manipulations, Waverly decides to tell her mother that she and Rich are getting married.
Her mother is kind and understanding, which puzzles Waverly and she bursts into tears. They talk and Waverly finally sees that her mother does indeed love her. She had only been waiting for Waverly to "let her in" to her world. Waverly and Rich postpone their wedding until October so that they can honeymoon in China in the cooler season. Waverly thinks it would be disastrous — yet wonderful — if her mother would go with them.
