Summary

In Chapter 7, it is Catherine Grace's 18th birthday, the day of her determined departure for Atlanta. She wakes up looking at her room, basically stripped bare of her belongings, almost impersonal. The room itself hasn't been changed since she was a girl; though she is a tomboy, she kept the pink walls and curtains in homage to her mother. Although Catherine has been excited for this day as long as she can remember, she is nervous and scared. The normal Cline tradition is breakfast and a singalong, and when her father enters her room, his mood his somber. He tells her she'll always have a home there.

The day continues as normal, with a huge breakfast. Catherine ponders her job prospects in Atlanta. She is supposed to stay with a cousin, and hopefully find a retail job at the mall. They spend...