A gets an email from Rhiannon with “normal-sounding” questions (“How was your day? What did you do?”) but A feels these generic questions could simply be Rhiannon being polite: “And while I once thought what I wanted from her was this normal, everyday tone, now that I have it, the normalcy disappoints” (181-82).

A tells Rhiannon s/he can’t see her because today Sallie Swan has a cross-country meet that Sallie/A must go to. A is relieved to be running. Running allows A to stay focused on the body: “If you are racing to win, you have no thoughts but the body’s thoughts, no goals but the body’s goals. You obliterate yourself in the name of speed” (182). A is hungry for this obliteration, eager to get away from tormenting thoughts.

Daniel Stevens’ family has a lot of activities planned for Saturday. This family does not waste time. They are up early and go to Baltimore, visit an art museum, have lunch at the Inner Harbor, a visit to the aquarium, a viewing of an IMAX movie, and then dinner at a seafood restaurant.