- Pearl tells us that after her dad left them, her mom got rid of all his stuff.
- She remembers what happened when her dad left: He was supposed to come home that Friday after a month away for work. He was in the business of flipping condos and selling them for a profit, so he'd be gone for a couple weeks at a time.
- While he was gone, Pearl and her mom would never make the beds, do dishes, or any other chores. It was fun, almost like they were roommies instead of mom and daughter.
- The night before her dad would come home, they'd clean the whole house and her mom would make a special dinner for her dad.
- On the menu? Lobster Newburg and bananas foster. Mmm…
- This time, though, when Pearl got home she found her mom sitting on the couch, motionless. She knew something was wrong, but her mom wouldn't talk.
- Finally her mom told her that her dad came home, announced he wasn't in love with her anymore, and left.
- Pearl's mom sold the house but didn't make any money from it since Pearl's dad refinanced it to pay for new condos to sell, so they were upside down on it (meaning they owed more money than the house was worth).
- And that's why Pearl and her mom moved into her uncle's guesthouse.