Section 6: Chapter 6, Sixth Picture and Chapter 7 Summary

In chapter six, Hollis makes special deluxe, a dish Izzy taught her to prepare, one morning in early December in preparation for a special evening since Beatrice leaves for New Mexico in the morning. Worrying what the mustard woman will do, Hollis focuses on school all week, thinking it is strange how much she wants to stay with Josie. When Beatrice arrives, she tells Hollis to take care of Josie, and though Hollis considers telling her about the mustard lady, she tells Beatrice to go since she has wanted to do so her whole life. Hollis wishes she could leave too; she would take the bus to Branches on the first day she saw the Old Man and Steven at the diner, and she would do everything differently. Hollis promises Beatrice that she...