Homecoming Part 1, Chapter 8 Summary

  • Dicey wakes up the next morning and decides to take a shower, which we're thinking she probably really needs. Her three younger siblings enjoy a hot shower after her, too, and now they're all so fresh and so clean.
  • Windy tells the Tillermans that he plans to buy them breakfast and then Stewart will drive them to their aunt's house in Bridgeport. Yay.
  • Dicey is overjoyed—it's only about an hour drive away, but it would have taken them three or four days to walk it. It's the abandoned children equivalent of the eagles carrying the hobbits back from Mount Doom.
  • But the happy moments are short-lived, and when Stewart goes to grab his wallet, he discovers that twenty dollars are missing from it. Oh man…
  • Dicey instantly suspects Sammy, but he says he didn't do it—turns out, James is the thief.
  • Dicey freaks out and forces him to give the money back and apologize, but James doesn't see what the big deal is. After all, Stewart obviously doesn't need to money and they do. So what's the problem? She didn't freak out this much when Sammy stole. Geez.
  • Well, that might be because Sammy's six years old; plus, he only stole food. And he didn't take things from people that tried to help them. Touché.
  • Dicey starts to leave with the kids, but Windy stops her—he still plans to take them to breakfast, and Stewart is totally going to drive them to Bridgeport. Okay?
  • Sure. But, he has a little something to say to James. Stealing does matter, being a kind person matters, and growing up to be a good man matters.
  • Once that awkwardness blows off, Windy makes good on his promise for a free breakfast, then he has to say goodbye and run off to class.
  • Stewart breaks out his guitar to play some songs (to show there are no hard feelings about the whole stealing thing, we guess), then they all hop in the car to head to Bridgeport.
  • Dicey has forgotten her map (again) and so Stewart stops in Fairfield to pick one up; he also buys the kids lunch and takes them to the beach. Such a nice guy.
  • Sammy is anxious to get to Aunt Cilla's, though, since he thinks Momma will be waiting there for them. Dicey doesn't have any such illusions. She worries aloud to Stewart about what will happen to them if things don't work out at Aunt Cilla's, but she'll freak out about that when—and if—the time comes.
  • Stewart drops them off in front of Aunt Cilla's house, wishes them luck, and then drives off. And Dicey nervously knocks on the front door. Total cliffhanger.