Summary

In October, Ruth and Howard run around the high school track together, and Howard easily laps Ruth. Later, they play monopoly with Linus and Theo. Afterwards, Howard tells Ruth, "I'm senile, but I'm not blind" (185), suggesting that he knows about her feelings for Theo. One day at the supermarket, Howard accidentally steals a chicken, and later talks Ruth out of trying to bring it back to the store. Another day while carving pumpkins together, Howard tells Ruth that the pumpkin she made looks oddly familiar. He digs up a photo from Halloween when Ruth was only seven years old. The pumpkin that she had carved then had an identical face. Howard and Annie's relationship apparently has improved, because Ruth sees them snuggled up close on the couch reading together.

In November, Ruth is in the supermarket when she picks up the phone...