Marc Levy’s "Meet Again" Summary

French author Marc Levy’s novel, Only If It Were True, was published in 2005. It is a direct sequel to his debut novel, Only If It Were True, published in 2000. The second part of the duology follows the story of architect Arthur Ashby and neurosurgeon Lauren Kline, whose destinies once again intertwine in San Francisco, defying the laws of the rational world and the prohibitions of those around them.

Returning to San Francisco and the Burden of the Past

After completing an architectural project in Paris, Arthur Ashby returns to California. He is met at the airport by his loyal friend and companion, Paul, who helped him rent an apartment on Pacific Street across from the elderly Rose Morrison and her dog, Pablo. Arthur tries to numb his heartache: he still devotedly loves Lauren Kline. When she awoke from a coma, Arthur abandoned her, yielding to the persistent pleas of her mother, Emily, and Professor Wallis Fernstein, who feared for her sanity. Lauren remembers nothing of the months she spent with Arthur, but retains a vague sense of an invisible presence.

Arthur and Paul visit Lily’s mother’s grave in Carmel. He decides to put the family’s old oceanfront home up for sale, but leaves his mother’s secret leather briefcase in the closet, containing an unsent letter for Lauren. Meanwhile, Lauren works as an intern in the emergency room at San Francisco Memorial Hospital. Her relationship with screenwriter Robert is devoid of sincerity, and her thoughts constantly return to the mysterious visitor who held her hand in the intensive care unit.

A fatal accident and a crisis in San Pedro

Lauren assists Professor Fernstein and Dr. Lalonde in a complex surgery on little Marcia, who has lost her sight due to a brain tumor. During the procedure, a hidden aneurysm ruptures, killing the child. Marcia’s father gives the shocked Lauren a stuffed white owl named Emilia, which the girl had been hiding under her bed to protect her from daylight.

That same day, Arthur goes to a department store to buy a leash for his neighbor’s dog. In Union Square, he encounters his ex-fiancée, Carol Ann, after which a motorcycle sidecar, out of control, crashes onto the sidewalk. Arthur is hit and suffers bruises and cuts. An ambulance takes him to Memorial Hospital, where Lauren is on duty. Examining him, she notes severe tachycardia. Arthur, heartbroken, looks at the woman he loves and notices a toy owl in her pocket. Without giving himself away, he picks up his prescription and goes home.

At home, Arthur develops a severe headache. The aspirin he took thins his blood and accelerates the development of a subdural hematoma due to damage to a blood vessel in the back of his head. Ms. Morrison finds her neighbor unconscious. A car arrives and takes Arthur to San Pedro Mission Hospital. The doctor on duty, Patrick Brisson, displays gross negligence, refusing to perform an urgent scan and mistaking the dangerous brain compression for a simple concussion.

Kidnapping and rescue at Memorial Hospital

Alarmed, Paul calls Memorial Hospital and connects with Lauren. Realizing Brisson’s incompetence, Lauren immediately arrives in San Pedro. After Brisson refuses to transfer the patient, Lauren, with the help of nurse Sybil, administers a sedative to the insolent doctor. Paul steals an ambulance, and they rush the comatose Arthur to Memorial Hospital.

Lauren assembles a surgical team, calling Professor Fernstein and anesthesiologist Lorenzo Granelli. Paul changes into a medic’s uniform and hides in the operating room. Suddenly, Police Inspector Eric Brame and the awakened Brisson burst into the department, demanding Lauren’s arrest for carjacking and kidnapping. The inspector takes Lauren to the Seventh Precinct while Fernstein begins a complex craniotomy.

Natalia, the dispatcher, is on duty at the police station when her companion, retired Inspector George Pilguez, comes to see her. Upon learning the names of Arthur and Lauren, Pilguez recalls his last case, a patient kidnapping in Carmel. He secretly releases Lauren from her cell and brings her back to the hospital. Lauren runs into the operating room just as Arthur’s heart stops. Showing restraint, she injects adrenaline directly into the heart and uses a defibrillator to revive him. Professor Fernstein negotiates with the San Pedro administration to drop the lawsuit, but in exchange, suspends Lauren from work for two weeks.

Mental connection and the revelation of the secret

Arthur is recovering in room 307. Fernstein discovers he has a rare vascular anomaly in his brain, identical to the one Lauren suffered from a long-ago car accident. That night, Lauren secretly visits Arthur. In the dim light of the room, he invites her to mentally transport herself to the house on the Carmel coast, describing every detail of the furnishings, the antique coffee pot, and the grand piano. Lauren vividly experiences this vision, marveling at the striking similarity with her own vague memories.

Soon, an inexplicable mental connection develops between Arthur and Lauren. Lauren imagines Arthur has come to her home, helped her rearrange her furniture, and invited her for a walk. They have lunch, stroll along the pier, feast on crabs on the waterfront, and talk about the fidelity of their one true love. Arthur confesses his feelings and suddenly disappears to the sound of a siren. Lauren awakens at home with signs of intoxication and a deep cut on her foot from a broken glass. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Arthur experiences a burst of abnormal brain activity and a second hemorrhage, requiring an urgent puncture.

Paul can no longer keep someone else’s secret. Meeting a distraught Lauren near the hospital, he reveals the truth: several years ago, Arthur stole her body from her hospital room to save her from euthanasia, and all this time he has been protecting her peace. A shocked Lauren comes to Arthur, reproaching him for his silence and mistrust. Then she meets with her mother, forgiving her for her long-ago decision to turn off life support, and takes the card Arthur sent her with the words "See you again."

Meeting at the house by the ocean

Lauren goes to Inspector Pilguez, who confirms Paul’s story and gives her the address and a photograph of the estate in Carmel. Lauren finally breaks up with Robert, packs her things, and leaves for the coast of Monterey Bay.

Professor Fernstein confesses to Lauren that he kept the truth from her for her peace of mind and announces his imminent retirement due to a terminal illness. He recommends that Lauren be hired as a permanent member of the department.

Arriving at Carmel, Lauren enters the house through the study window, finds Arthur’s mother’s black leather briefcase in the closet, and reads the letter left for her. All the forgotten fragments of her past fall into place. At midday, Arthur arrives at the house with Paul, intending to begin restoration. Arthur opens the closet and sees Lauren holding Marcia’s stuffed owl, wearing childish sunglasses. Lauren utters the words of confession Arthur once spoke to her at their first meeting, linking their destinies forever.

Paul finds happiness with the lawyer Onega and moves in with her in a new apartment by the bay. Mrs. Kline achieves victories in bridge and poker tournaments in Las Vegas. Professor Fernstein spends his last days with Norma and finds peace in Normandy. George Pilguez and Natalia marry in Venice and embark on a long journey through Europe. Miss Morrison raises Pablo’s puppies, and Betty remains the hospital’s permanent head nurse. Arthur and Lauren remain alone in their house by the ocean.