Summary

Spring begins six days before the ninety-day review which will determine whether Perley will be reunified with his parents. With the warm weather, the snakes come back into the house in full force. Lily convinces Helen to help her with the snake ritual Perley received from Grandma Barlow, which she believes will help them banish the snakes from their home. Karen arrives just in time to participate in the ritual, and receives a friendly welcome from both Helen and Lily. Karen asks Lily if she heard about the compressor station being blown up, thus revealing to the reader that she successfully destroyed it. Helen announces that she is pregnant with Rudy’s child and Karen says they will need to build a bigger house.

Lily welcomes Karen back into bed, although she is still angry that Karen left. Karen...