Summary

In Chapter 11, Barry arrives in El Paso, Texas, where Layla lives. Barry thinks nostalgically about his and Layla’s college relationship, and he hopes that romance will spark between them once again. Although Layla welcomes him into her home, she makes it immediately clear that she does not want to have a romantic relationship. She says that the past few years have been difficult for her. Layla lets Barry sleep in a bedroom in the basement, and he makes himself useful by doing daily chores for her. Barry quickly develops a deep affection for El Paso and its multicultural communities. Barry also soon develops affection for Layla’s nine-year-old son Jonah. Jonah’s main interest is cartography, and he spends much of his free time looking at and drawing maps. Barry bonds with Jonah over this interest. Barry recalls owning a map of Long...