Chapter 5 starts with a news article about Morris Kline, reaffirming the wonderful things Valerie says about him in the previous chapter and including an anecdote from a student about how Kline stops one day to help her and her mother fix a flat tire by the side of the road, even though he is dressed for a formal event. His selfless nature contrasts with a quote from his wife, her words marked with grief and expressing satisfaction over Nick’s death. Kline’s wife feels robbed, on her own behalf and on behalf of her three children.

The present timeline picks up with Valerie’s relief as she folds into her mother’s car at the end of her first day back at school. She is sure she “took [her] first real breath of the day” once safe in the vehicle (107). At first, awkward silence dominates the car ride. Valerie notices the deep worry lines on her mother’s face. She brings up what she heard from Stacey, and she and her mother share a hearty laugh about the woman. As they laugh, Valerie notes how long it has been since she laughed, saying, “Laughter felt weird in my mouth.