Summary

Irene and Graciella stand outside an old ranch home which Graciella reveals her husband’s business sold for one point two million dollars. She says that “There’s a handful of real estate companies that NG works with, and they’re all passing cash and properties around to each other like chips in a poker game – it’s not real money till someone cashes out” (228).

Irene flashes back to her childhood when she tried to tell her father that something was wrong with her mother. Maureen had been throwing up and appeared weak, even falling over after dinner. The children stayed at the dinner table when Teddy helped Maureen upstairs. He tells the children that their mother is going to be okay, but Irene knew he was lying.

While Irene prepares to go to Arizona to meet Josh, she smells the marijuana on...