Summary

Joaquin meets with his therapist Ana. Since he is uncomfortable in hospital settings, his foster parents arrange more casual meetings with Ana over lunch. Joaquin appreciates Ana's "no-bullshit" approach to therapy (125). She challenges him when he says that he "fine" (124). Joaquin talks about his insecurities; he thinks that foster parents got paid to keep him, and even so it was not enough (127). He also says that he broke up with Birdie. Ana reassures him that they are both important, and she is not more important than he is. Joaquin says that he misses Birdie. Ana tells Joaquin that he deserves to have these people in his life and that he is always going to be connected to his family (131). Joaquin dreams that Grace and Maya are stuck in the sand as they are washed out into the sea. He wakes up yelling for...