Summary

Part II begins with Chapter 8, in which the protagonist reflected on the fact that the world had not yet ended despite its many problems. She continued on her tour, and in Vienna, she received a text message from her mother that read, “Something has gone wrong...How soon can you get here?” (119). She flew to Ohio and her mother picked her up at the airport. When she asked what was wrong, her mother wept.

Later, at the hospital, the protagonist held her sister's hand as she underwent an ultrasound. There was a serious problem with the baby's development. Her sister was 26 weeks into her pregnancy and none of the medical staff at the Catholic hospital suggested abortion. The protagonist told her sister that she would drive her somewhere they could terminate the pregnancy, even if it meant leaving the state, but they both...