- It's still incredibly hot in Treegap. Winnie heads outside, where she sees her friendly toad. Poor thing is practically cracking in the heat.
- She returns to the house and asks her grandma for water—she wants to help the toad. Her grandma says that the toad won't drink it; he just has to soak it up.
- Winnie's grandma agrees to go outside and help give the toad water, but when they get out there, the toad is nowhere to be found.
- It gets hotter and hotter, so Winnie's grandma heads back inside.
- Good timing, because all of a sudden, Jesse's there. How would Winnie have explained that?
- He tells Winnie that they've got an escape plan for Mae. Because Miles has lots of carpenter knowledge, they're going to be able to open the jail cell window and pull Mae out.
- The plan might be flawed, but it's all they've got.
- This isn't the only reason Jesse showed up, either. He also has a present for Winnie. It's a tiny bottle of spring water. Immortality in a bottle, folks.
- He asks her to keep it until she's seventeen, and use it then—at which point, she can come live with the Tucks. (For those of you keeping track, this is proposal #2.)
- While Winnie accepts the water, she's more focused on the escape plan. She says she can help give the Tucks a better shot. Here's her idea: after Mae breaks out, Winnie will take her place for a while. By the time anyone notices Mae is gone, the Tucks will have had enough of a head start that they'll be able to get away.
- Jesse's concerned about what this could do to Winnie, but Winnie insists, and they arrange that he'll come get her at midnight. Winnie's grandma calls out, checking on Winnie, and Jesse disappears.
- Winnie's left to wait.
- The suspense is killing us.