Summary

Tip and Teddy lie awake on the couches in the living room when Teddy asks Tip what he thinks of “The car, the girl, your ankle, your mother” (94). Tip tells Teddy that Tennessee is of no concern to him, even though she saved his life. Teddy probes further, and Tip expresses disdain for Tennessee, saying the fact that she follows the boys around shows she’s either sad or dangerous. He then reminds Teddy that Tennessee abandoned them twenty years earlier and tells Teddy he is under no obligation to give her a chance.

Doyle discusses Kenya’s story with Sullivan in the kitchen, looking for advice, but Sullivan offers none. Doyle reflects how imperfect his eldest son is, recalling how “Once Bernadette was gone…Sullivan did his best to destroy everything that wasn’t already lost” (97). Doyle broaches the subject of Sullivan’s...