Summary

In Chapter 25, “An Empty Stomach,” Maisie watches the snow in the morning. When her family wakes, she tells them about the storm.

On the “way to the Cape Alava Trail,” Maisie wishes her parents would turn off “their political podcast” (139). Talk “about climate change” makes her anxious (139). She wishes her parents understood how she felt.

In Chapter 26, “Nursery Stump,” Maisie focuses on her footing on the trail. Mom eventually “notices the distance” forming between Maisie and the family (142). Maisie insists she is okay. Studying the “broad and gnarled” trunks, Maisie thinks about dance and her accident (143). Her parents talk about the mudslide and earthquake in the area hundreds of years prior.

In Chapter 27, “Petroglyphs,” Maisie’s family reaches the beach. Mom hangs back with Maisie while Jack and Connor move ahead. Mom leads Maisie “down the shoreline” (147). She shows her giant boulders with...