Back Roads

Harley returns home and finds the girls having a slumber party in the living room. Amber refuses to look at him, and Harley finds it difficult to look at Misty. Harley and Amber exchange angry words, and Harley goes into the kitchen to put away the groceries. He sits down with a beer and the Bible, remembering how Bonnie didn’t go to church, but read stories from the Bible to Harley most nights. Harley finds the map his mother drew as a child. He then looks at the cover of the Bible and discovers his mother wrote each of their names and birthdays in it. When Harley sees his own birthdate, he realizes his birthday is today. He is now 20 years old.

Harley takes the Bible downstairs to his bedroom, then takes the gun out to the shed. Amber calls to him from the front door, insisting on knowing what he’s doing. Harley says he’s hiding the gun from the girls for safety. Harley tells Amber he’s leaving, and she gets mad, telling him “her dad’s home, too” (272), but Harley doesn’t understand what she means.

Harley goes to the Mercers’ house and knocks on the door, asking Brad if he can speak to Callie.