Zane recalls how his laugh reminds his mom of Gerald. She once shared how she met Gerald at an Air Force party. She heard infectious laughter and felt compelled to see who was laughing: It was Gerald. They fell instantly in love. Zane’s mom says that his comments are just like his father’s. Zane declares that he is not angry at his father for getting killed. Zane finds it strange that he is in the same city where his father spent his childhood. Zane recognizes that his father is a part of him, and wonders what his father would think of the flood and the cookout incident, which Zane does not quite understand. Zane feels that things are going to get worse. The friends come to a new neighborhood with large, boarded-up homes where the flooding is much less severe. The water level is low, so they leave the canoe and walk. Zane fashions a leash to keep Bandy from running away. Tru is nervous: This community is not friendly to outsiders.