Miranda is distraught over the loss of Horton; Jon is so upset that he has decided to stay over at the Nesbitt house. They are both refusing to speak to Syl, who let Horton out of the house to die in the nearby woods. The family discovered his body a mere hundred feet from the house. While Syl tries to explain that she did it out of respect for the cat’s dignity, the grieving family refuses to forgive her. Miranda feels guilty talking about her grief with Alex, who she knows has suffered greater losses than hers—even though he does not speak of it specifically.

Alex, for his part, simply tells Miranda that he wants to be with her. He also wants Miranda to persuade Jon to return to his home; he is worried about how much time he spends with Julie. Miranda suddenly realizes that Jon and Julie are actually young teenagers, maturing and possibly exploring intimacy in ways that Alex finds uncomfortable. When they enter the house, however, Dad and Jon are in the middle of an argument. Jon says that he will take Julie to a safe town; she has told Jon that Alex has passes to get in.