Summary

This section covers “Part three: Permission to Leave.” It begins with an exchange between the Dad and Crow as narrators in which Crow wants to tell Dad how his wife died, but Dad does not want to know. Dad then writes another letter to Crow reminding him that Crow once told him never to remarry, but then later told him to take a lover. The boys remember drawing pictures with their father watching. They also remember going with their Gran somewhere secret without their father.

Dad remembers when his wife had the flu and he and the boys were unable to help. He wishes he had known it was a preview of what their lives would be like so that he would have been more motivated to help. Dad goes on to list things Crow is and is not afraid of. Two...