The Art of Racing in the Rain: Chapter 20 Summary & Analysis

Because he's a dog, Enzo doesn't get to go to the hospital to hear what the doctors have to say about Eve. Enzo laments this fact, saying that nothing was expected of him except to do his business outside and to stop barking when told to stop.

Eve stays in the hospital for weeks. Denny cares for Enzo and Zoë, and visits Eve regularly, and these tasks take up all of his time. Enzo describes how their schedule changed from spontaneous restaurant and coffee shop visits to regimented days with bagged lunches and dinner at home every night. Enzo says that while not colorful, it was efficient, which was all that could be expected considering Eve's illness. Enzo's walks and trips to the dog park are infrequent, and he receives little attention from Denny or Zoë. Enzo tells the reader that despite this, he was willing to make the sacrifice to preserve the family dynamic and for Eve's sake.

After two weeks of their regimented schedule, Maxwell and Trish offer to take Zoë for a weekend to give Denny a break, and Eve supports the idea. Denny is hesitant but agrees. He and Enzo do everything they used to do—jogging, watching movies, ordering pizza, watching racing tapes. They go to the dog park to throw a tennis ball, but a surly dog gets after Enzo and Enzo isn't able to retrieve the ball. Enzo says the absence of Eve and Zoë feels wrong, and that there is no joy in their day—something is missing.

After dinner, Denny stands up, takes Enzo outside, and then says he has to go see Eve, telling Enzo to stay. Enzo lies down in his bed, and Denny leaves. Several hours later, Denny returns, crawls into bed, and tells Enzo twice that Eve is going to be okay.