What’s Up With the Ending?

Why We Broke Up ends on a tentatively hopeful note. Finally, Min finishes her letter and seems ready to dump her huge box of Ed memorabilia. It's December, and she and Al are making plans for an elegant New Year's supper—they're going to wrap prosciutto around some jarred chestnuts that Min originally bought for Ed, but never used. The chestnuts are gross, but according to Al, "Wrapping something in prosciutto cancels out from a jar. Wrapping in prosciutto cancels out anything" (43.8). Maybe even Ed himself.

New Year's, of course, is a time that symbolizes new beginnings, and Min seems open to exploring them with Al. In the final paragraph, she talks about "the love interest [who] sneaks up on you, several scenes before you even know for sure he's in the story" (43.10). Is she talking about Al? Min doesn't say for sure, but Shmoop thinks that she might be. As one door closes, another one opens… maybe. If nothing else, we're confident their dinner will be delicious. We want to eat everything Al makes.