A Heart in a Body in the World

Ashley’s article about Annabelle ends up on the front page of the local high school paper. Annabelle thinks the picture of herself is pretty bad, but she thinks Ashley is a good writer, and she’s “surprised at Ashley Naches’s words and how tender they are […] It almost makes Annabelle sound like someone worth rooting for” (131). When Annabelle reaches Grandpa’s RV, some local townspeople, including the mayor, are waiting for her. They give her a bottle of sparkling cider and a gift certificate for dinner and two rooms at a local resort hotel. At the hotel, Annabelle and Grandpa enjoy dinner and cheers to Annabelle crossing the Idaho border. Annabelle asks Grandpa why he always fights with her mother. Grandpa confesses that Gina was upset he didn’t bring Annabelle’s Nana, who died of cancer several years ago, to the hospital sooner when she became sick.

After dinner, Annabelle is excited to spend the night in her fancy hotel room. She takes a shower and lays down on the bed. Despite her reservations earlier in the day, Annabelle has decided to continue her run. She “realizes that all big decisions are ones that must be decided again and again” (134).