A Duet For Home

June falls asleep in math class, and she tells her friends that she forgot her lunch at home. Worried, her best friend, Eugene, offers to share his lunch, but June declines. Back at Huey House, Maybelle reads library books to Churro. Maybelle now enjoys life at Huey House.

When June is on the way to practice her viola in the chapel, Abuela tells her that she has arranged for Domenika, the violin player, to give June lessons. Her first lesson will begin that night at seven o’clock. June doesn’t have to pay Domenika because Abuela has “handled it.” Tyrell thinks that June is “lucky” to receive lessons from the person who makes the music that he listens to each night.

June is apprehensive about the lessons, worrying that Domenika might be a “psychopath.” Abuela, however, insists that June try at least one lesson. Tyrell tells June that he listens to Domenika play each night. Excited, Tyrell takes June’s viola and runs down the hall. June runs after Tyrell and calls him a “criminal.” Tyrell puts the viola in front of June’s door.

Ms. MacMillan appears in the basement and scolds June for running. She rubs hand sanitizer onto her hands and wonders aloud whether there is a musical instrument on the premises. June apologizes for running, and Ms. MacMillan says that she “regrets” coming down to the basement. June cannot find Tyrell, but she sees her viola outside her door.

After tucking Maybelle in for the night, June leaves to attend her viola lesson. Before she goes, her mother refers to her as “big sister” in Cantonese and asks where she’s going. June replies by shutting the door. Later, June talks to Marcus about calling Tyrell a “criminal.” June feels bad, and Marcus alludes to Tyrell’s fraught past. Outside, June notices that Domenika’s brownstone has bay windows and 13 steps. The number 13 is unlucky in America but not in China.

A year ago, Ms. MacMillan confiscated a child’s gecko and threw it and its aquarium away. Tyrell tried to rescue the gecko, but it was too late. However, he cleaned out the aquarium and kept it. Now, in the chapel, Tyrell puts the mice in the aquarium. He overhears two maintenance women complaining about having to come in early tomorrow morning for a meeting involving a new policy and a man from the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). The women leave, and Tyrell departs soon afterward, thinking about his father and the word that June called him: “criminal.”

June knocks on Domenika’s door, prompting hostile barks from a dog named Bartok, who belongs to one of Domenika’s friends. June hears Domenika screaming inside. When Domenika opens the door, she is surprised to see June because she was not expecting her student to be a child. June introduces herself, hesitantly putting the intonation of a question on her own name, and Domenika scolds June for her lack of confidence.

June thinks that Domenika is a “hoarder.” Domenika asks June what music she’ll play to audition. June wonders how Domenika knows about the orchestra audition, but Domenika means that June must audition in order to become her student. Domenika insists that June sight-read a piece of music, but because June is bad at sight-reading and does not perform well without practice, she plays badly. June cries, and Domenika doesn’t know whether she is willing to work with June.

Tyrell has a “brilliant plan” that he shares with Jeremiah. The two run into Ms. MacMillan, who informs them that everyone is going to the staff meeting. With MacMillan’s office empty, Jeremiah easily picks the lock, and Tyrell discovers a folder of applications for Ms. Gonzalez’s job.

Back from school, June notices the unusually silent shelter. Lulu tells June about the meeting, and June tells Lulu that her lesson was an audition. She also mentions the 13 steps and her inability to find Tyrell. Lulu says that Tyrell knows Huey House better than anyone, so if he doesn’t want June to find him, she won’t find him.

Tyrell shoves the job applications into his backpack. Then, he and Jeremiah sneak into a maintenance closet that shares a wall with the conference room. The closet has a hole big enough for mice, and the mice hurry through the opening. Minutes later, while Tyrell and Jeremiah enjoy snacks in the cafeteria, they hear screams coming from the conference room.

June hears the screams, and Lulu, spotting Tyrell and Jeremiah, accuses them of causing the commotion. Tyrell claims that he and Jeremiah were just eating snacks. June apologizes to Tyrell for calling him a criminal, and he agrees to forgive her if he can join her for the viola lessons with Domenika. June explains what happened, and Tyrell assures her that she’ll still be able to get lessons from Domenika.

Tyrell, June, Maybelle, and Jeremiah want to catch the mice and free them in the park. Marcus says that the traps they are using won’t kill the mice, and he promises to give the mice to them once they’re all caught. Stephanie flirts with Marcus, and Ms. Hunter returns with books for Jeremiah and Tyrell.

At Bill Rainey Park in the Bronx, Maybelle finds purple flowers near a tree—a good spot to release the mice. Maybelle says a prayer, and Tyrell tries to hold back his tears. Jeremiah says that the mice have “freedom,” but Tyrell thinks about the dangers of liberty. He throws the applications in a trashcan, and as he considers the tableau of Jeremiah, June, and Maybelle in the autumnal setting, he wishes that he could “freeze” the pleasant moment.

After eating “stale” rolls and “square” vegetables for dinner, Tyrelle insists on going with June to Domenika’s house. For Maybelle’s benefit, June plays “Rêve d’enfant” by Eugene Ysaÿe and “Berceuse” by Amy Beach. Afterward, she, Jeremiah, and Tyrell listen to Domenika’s violin. Then, June goes to practice the viola.