Summary

Mia is sick again and Stephanie takes her to the doctor who asks about their living situation. Stephanie tells her about the chronic mold problem and the doctor advises her to move if the landlord will not fix the situation. Stephanie confesses that she cannot afford anything else. "Well," the doctor says, "she [Mia] needs you to do better" (Loc 3047). After being referred to the same specialist who did Mia's operation before, Stephanie leaves another doctor's office with the message that she "wasn't giving Mia what she needed" (Loc 3062). That year, Stephanie gets a tax return of nearly $4000. She still dreams of going to Missoula, but does not know how she will afford to move to a town where wages are low and housing costs are high. With her tax return money, Stephanie buys foods they cannot normally afford and small things...