A Duet For Home

June notices the sign for the meeting and heads to the crowded cafeteria, where Ms. MacMillan discusses the “record number” of unhoused people and explains HSP. Next to her is Mr. Fernsby. He is a “housing specialist” from DHS, and he is supposed to “help” the residents adapt to the HSP program.

The residents are upset and shout questions and comments. They don’t want to live in precarious spaces with substandard schools and no nearby transportation. They also don’t think that the company that owns Huey House should receive money in exchange for moving them within 90 days.

Tyrell’s mother attends the meeting, but June’s mother isn’t there. To relieve the stress of the meeting, Lulu’s mother offers to give June some “pampering.” She shows June a picture of a model who doesn’t look like June. Nevertheless, Ms. Vega wants to make June’s hair like the hair of the model. June remains reluctant, but after her mother appears and calls her “big sister” in Cantonese, June agrees to let Ms. Vega cut her hair.

Sensing discord between June and her mother, Ms. Vega tells June that people are imperfect and that even mothers have flaws. Ms. Vega believes that families are intricate; she urges June to practice forgiveness. She gives June a terrible haircut, leaving her with jagged hair and a half-shaved head. Tyrell openly laughs at June’s new haircut.

To counter the terrible haircut, Ms. Vega shaves off a side of June’s hair and puts the remaining hair in a French braid, giving June the appearance of a “bizarre” bohemian. Feeling bold, June, with Tyrell in tow, bangs on Domenika’s door. Tyrell worries that someone might call the police, but June doesn’t care. Domenika never comes to the door.

On the bus, the younger children make fun of June’s haircut, but Maybelle defends her sister, stating that she wants a similar haircut. The bus comes to a sudden halt, and Domenika enters. The younger children comment about her long hair, and Domenika tells them that she has extensions.

Domenika and June communicate by writing notes on musical paper, and finally Domenika uses her voice. She apologizes and states that she wants to teach June. She thinks that June should use her long commute to practice, and she also agrees to teach Tyrell too. With the deal in place, Domenika quickly exits because she cannot tolerate the bus’s smell.

In the chapel, Tyrell wants to talk about HSP, but Jeremiah wants to read a book for extra credit. Tyrell throws jellybeans at him, but he doesn’t break Jeremiah’s focus. Full of cheer, June enters the chapel. She tells Tyrell about her school bus encounter with Domenika. She also claims that Tyrell must do whatever she says because she knows more about music than he does.

As June helps Tyrell practice holding the viola on his shoulder, Tyrell expresses his determination to stop HSP. June suggests speaking to the Bronx borough president, and Tyrell wonders if Jeremiah could change all the locks to the DHS offices or hack their computers. Jeremiah doesn’t think that Tyrell’s ideas are feasible.

Maybelle joins Tyrell and June for their lesson, and Domenika agrees to pay Maybelle $5 to babysit the dog. Domenika laments her situation. She is not receiving payment for teaching Tyrell and June, and she is now losing money since she must pay Maybelle. Nevertheless, Dominika determines that Tyrell should start with a violin. She gives him one that she has in her closet. She shows him how to stand, hold the bow, and move his arms. After his lesson, Tyrell is exhausted and has a newfound appreciation for June’s talent.

At Huey House, Marcus suggests that Tyrell keep his violin downstairs, and Tyrell agrees; he is afraid that his mother might take it and sell it if she sees it. Last year, Tyrell won an iPod from the New York Public Library’s summer reading program and showed it to his mother. The next day, he couldn’t find the iPod, but his mother came home with new shoes.

June meets with Ms. Gonzalez by herself, and Ms. Gonazlez doesn’t ask trite questions like the school guidance counselor did after the death of Mr. Yang. Instead, Ms. Gonzalez gives her raspberry jam cookies and steamed pork buns—the latter is June’s favorite food.

With the help of a translator, Ms. Gonzalez met with June’s mother one-on-one. Now, Ms. Gonzalez asks June why her mother calls her “big sister.” June doesn’t think that the term is a compliment, but Ms. Gonazlez notes the strong bond between siblings. June wishes that her mom would say “I love you” or show her some affection.

Tyrell and Jeremiah read Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry in Jeremiah’s room. Jeremiah’s mother enters and asks if he wants to go to the store and buy things for his new room. Suddenly, Tyrell realizes that his best friend is moving, so he storms out. To calm down, he peels potatoes for Mamo in the kitchen. Mamo has already heard that Jeremiah is leaving, and she thinks it’s good that he and his family are ready to move on.

Mamo tells Tyrell about her past. She learned to cook when she was eight, and her mom worked as a prep cook in Hawaiian hotels. Because Mamo’s little sister was a vegetarian, she learned to cook meatless dishes. Mamo realizes that she can also make meatless meals for Maybelle.

June hasn’t seen Tyrell for two days, and he isn’t present for Jeremiah’s departure. Ms. Gonzalez gives Jeremiah measuring cups and a tub of cookies. Crying, she tells Jeremiah and his mother to call and visit. She is “incredibly proud” of them. Humberto, the maintenance man, drives them to their new home.

Tyrell doesn’t do his homework, and Ms. Gruber scolds him for it. He eats lunch alone, and back at Huey House, he hides the picture of him and Jeremiah. Sneaking down a rarely used staircase, Tyrell overhears Ms. MacMillan firing Ms. Gonzalez because HQ wants to emphasize housing instead of services. Given that Ms. Gonzalez opposes this change, Mr. Fernsby will replace her.

Leaving through the emergency exit, Tyrell walks through Baychester—the Bronx neighborhood where he grew up. His family used to live in a one-room apartment in a public housing complex. He slept on the couch, and he didn’t have much to eat.

In 2015, Tyrell’s father shot and killed a man named Bolívar Ortiz at a nearby bodega. Now, Tyrell visits the convenience store. The altar marking Ortiz’s death remains, and Tyrell sees Ortiz’s son and Ortiz’s brother. The brother shouts at Tyrell, but he runs away.