With the men detained, the women of the household work to resolve their family’s situation. Despite their efforts, which include contacting Mr. Rashid and standing outside the detention center, uncertainty looms. A few days after Uncle’s detention, Aisha and Nadira write letters to Homeland Security. While Aisha’s friends discuss summer plans, she is consumed by her family’s crisis. Her facade of control cracks under the pressure, as she boasts about getting a C in American Government, shocking her academically inclined friends.

Aisha’s guilt and obsession with the idea that she could have prevented Uncle’s arrest continue to overwhelm her. Her anxiety intensifies when Homeland Security does not respond, and she withdraws from her social circles and confines herself to the apartment. Similarly, Taslima begins to rebel, staying out late, fighting with Auntie, and even cutting her hair short in a sign of defiance. Nadira encounters Lily Yee, whom she has been avoiding. Nadira agrees to help Lily uncover the truth about her father’s infidelity, leading to a discovery that he has been living a double life with another women and their baby.

That night, Auntie tells Nadira that Uncle is being released; however, he only has 30 days to resolve his immigration status.