Summary

The Mothers remember the various deaths they have encountered over the years in Upper Room, none the same as Elise Turner, who chose her death. They still cannot wrap their heads around why she would do that and remember the night before her death when they witnessed her sleeping in Upper Room, mistaking her for a homeless person. They remember the conversation and wonder why she would choose death, as she was living as good as a white woman. Working at Upper Room, Nadia reminded people of Elise, their features similar enough to evoke explicit responses. As she grew lonelier, unable to intimate with anyone, Nadia began to wonder about her mother's death, trying to understand it. While working, she encountered Aubrey Evans, who revealed that she lived with her sister and her girlfriend, throwing off Nadia's expectations.

Aubrey Evans had arrived one day...