Chapter 58 of All the Colors of the Dark opens with Saint visiting the police station, a moment marked by a mixture of pride and discomfort. Officer Nix greets her warmly, offering his congratulations with a handshake before presenting her with a certificate and a check for two thousand dollars. The gesture is both formal and heartfelt, yet Saint finds herself feeling uneasy under the spotlight. Daisy Creason captures the moment in a photograph, forever memorializing this brief public acknowledgment. Saint’s grandmother, thrilled with the recognition, plans to keep copies of the picture, savoring this rare moment of pride. Later, Saint asks her grandmother to cash the check, and on the second Monday following the event, she quietly places the entire amount in an envelope, which she discreetly leaves in the Macauleys’ mailbox. This action, although generous, is done in silence, reflecting Saint’s discomfort with being the center of attention, and her preference for helping others without the need for recognition.

The chapter then shifts to a more personal moment when Saint is rummaging through the trash, an action that leads to an unexpected discovery. Among the discarded items, she finds a flag and an antique treasure chest filled with shining doubloons. The find captivates her for a moment, a symbol of a hidden past that catches her curiosity. However, the peace is short-lived as her friend arrives, and their brief exchange is filled with lighthearted teasing, masking an underlying tension that Saint can sense. As they walk together toward school, Saint notices that something has shifted in her friend’s demeanor. He walks quietly, his chin lowered, lost in thought, as if burdened by some unspoken weight. Despite Saint’s attempts to draw him out with talk of local events—like her grandmother switching cigarette brands and a drunken incident at the art gallery—her friend remains distant, offering little in return. This subtle change in behavior raises concerns for Saint, signaling that her friend is struggling with something deeper that he’s not sharing.

In response to her friend’s silent retreat, Saint takes action to understand what might be going on beneath the surface. The day after his return, she decides to ride her Spyder to the library, determined to study trauma and psychological disabilities in order to offer him the support he might need. She recognizes that she cannot help him unless she understands the weight of what he’s carrying, yet she remains careful not to overstep or invade his privacy. Saint’s proactive approach highlights her deep empathy and commitment to helping her friend, even when the nature of his distress remains unclear to her. Her efforts are met with an unexpected revelation, however, when her friend suddenly declares, “I need to steal a car.” This shocking admission catches her completely off guard, leaving her unprepared to handle such a drastic request. The gravity of his statement becomes apparent to her, as it signals the depth of his internal conflict and the unresolved pain he is holding inside. Saint’s reaction reveals the emotional complexity of their friendship, as she navigates the challenge of providing comfort while respecting his boundaries. His outburst forces Saint to confront the reality of the situation—they are both struggling, but in different ways.

The chapter concludes by highlighting the underlying tension between them, as the complexities of their friendship and the unspoken struggles each character faces are brought to the forefront. Saint, despite her genuine desire to help, is faced with the difficulty of supporting someone who is retreating further into himself. Her attempts to reach out to her friend, even with the best of intentions, become clouded by the weight of his unresolved issues, which he is not yet ready to share. Patch’s emotional turmoil becomes more evident with every passing moment, while Saint’s compassion for him grows stronger, despite her confusion about how to support him. Their interactions reflect the delicate balance between friendship and the emotional burdens both of them carry, setting the stage for further exploration of their complex relationship in the chapters ahead. The chapter not only delves into the theme of unspoken struggles but also underscores the deep emotional connection between Saint and her friend, even in the face of growing emotional distance.