"My house was always the rendezvous point"
In chapter 2 "the anatomy lessen" Theo says he and Audrey devised a Family Disaster Plan which was simply to come back home, and if you can't get home - call.
In vegas with Boris they had the same Family Disaster Plan! They would meet at Theo's house as if it was their mutual home, like the moment after Boris got beaten up by his dad and Theo said "let's go home" meaning his own house. Then in amsterdam their version of disaster plan was again to meet at the place where Theo was staying.
The word "home" is strongly associated with Theo, as if home is wherever Theo is. Audrey was told by her parents to look at the moon when she feels lonely and homesick, and Theo figured it means that home is in your heart, whenever you are, and the moon is there to remind you of it. And Boris is the "moon of faithfulness". Boris is supposed to make Theo feel less lonely and homesick. Feel like he's always home. And Theo is always the rendezvous point in Family Disaster Plan for him and Boris. They are home to each other ☹️
The last chapter, 12, is called "the rendezvous point", and it parallels chapter two: Theo came back from a Disaster, now he is waiting for another person to come back home too. He calls Audrey she's not answering, he can't call Boris cause his phone is dead. In 2 he didn't lose hope till the very last moment, in 12 he gave up. Chose to stop everything, find his way out. Audrey never came back, but Boris DID. And Theo couldn't believe it, he has hard time processing it and he's so broken, his nerves so fried his feelings are a mess he just freezes and doesn't know how to react.
Boris is often paralleled with Theo's dad, the bad side, painful memories. But sometimes he's paralleled with Theo's mom too, precisely in this special moment. It's literally a repetition of the most traumatic event in Theo's life, but this time with a happy ending - the person he loves isn't dead, the police aren't looking for him, the painting is where it's supposed to be.
Also in the second chapter Theo says that to not think about the horrors he witnessed in the museum was like to not think about the purple cow. And then the meeting place for the deal is cafe called Purple cow. God i love the way she writes.
Theo's response to danger is to literally freeze. He can't think, doesn't understand what's happening and what is he supposed to do, only can concentrate on things like some mess on the concrete between his shoes or Boris's bleeding arm. "Your arm"😭 He was so worried about it! He even wrapped the phone charger cable around the arm. It's quite impressive how all he does in his condition in such situations is try to help people around him - like with Welty in the museum.
And Boris picked up his glasses! And wiped them! It's so caring of him.
And then Boris proceeded to literally push and shove Theo in the right direction while talking as if to a child 😭. They are indeed a good team. Theo is a dissociative mess but he does the right thing when it's needed and he takes care of Boris. Boris is alert and assertive and he tolerates Theo's numbness and knows exactly how to handle him. And they trust each other, of course. And they're bound forever :)