Where the Forest Meets the Stars

The next morning, after Jo’s physical therapy, Dr. Shaw visits Jo in the hospital. He shows great care and concern for her. He learned what happened through George Kinney, who was contacted because the shootout happened on his property. George’s wife, Lynne, died the same night. Shaw knows about how Gabe saved Jo and Ursa’s life. He’s excited to meet Gabe, who’s visiting soon. Jo, who hasn’t heard any news about Ursa, is happy to hear she’s expected to pull through.

They talk about Jo’s care for Ursa. Shaw recalls seeing Ursa wearing Jo’s shoes. He and Jo are unsure about whether Jo will face legal consequences and how that would affect her place in the program, but Shaw promises to advocate for Jo. He thinks her actions may have been motivated by her recovery from cancer. Shaw offers to have a couple other students finish Jo’s research for her. Jo graciously accepts and tells him where to find her research logs.

Gabe enters. Shaw greets him and thanks him for saving Jo’s life. Gabe is relaxed and accepts the praise, but Jo can tell he’s still uneasy. She’s impressed with how well he manages his social anxiety in the face of Shaw’s friendliness. Gabe informs Jo that Tabby is in the gift shop. Shaw departs.

Gabe explains that Tabby stole a maid outfit from their hotel. She plans to disguise herself as a delivery person to bring gifts to Ursa. Jo tells the story of how Tabby snuck a baby lamb into the hospital after Jo’s mastectomy. She gave Jo a bottle and had her feed the lamb to emphasize that Jo doesn’t need breasts to give milk. Gabe explains that Tabby dragged him to unique places while they were out the previous night. Jo is happy Tabby and Gabe get along.

Tabby shows up. She almost made it to Ursa’s room in the ICU but was thwarted by security. She says a police officer is posted outside Ursa’s room. The hospital threatened to have Tabby arrested if she tried to enter the room again. Tabby jokes that Ursa is under guard because the government knows she’s an alien in a stolen human body.

Jo is discharged from the hospital but refuses to leave. She spends several days in the ICU waiting room, hoping to see Ursa. The hospital staff has threatened to call the police on Jo, but she doesn’t think they will. Jo watches a woman, whom she thinks is a social worker, enter and exit the ICU each day. The woman looks at Jo with judgment at first, but Jo detects quiet admiration after a few days. Jo is certain this woman is connected with Ursa. Police and detectives have also entered and exited the ICU. Gabe brings Jo food and clean clothes, but he wants her to give up the pursuit.

On the fourth day, while Jo and Gabe eat lunch, the social worker, Lenora, approaches them. She already knows their names. She’s working with Ursa, trying to figure out what happened, but Ursa refuses to tell her anything other than her story about being an alien. Lenora knows about the miracles, about Hetrayeh, and about Ursa’s time with Jo and Gabe. She admits to being mystified by Ursa the same way Jo and Gabe were. Ursa refuses to tell Lenora anything about the night she ran away, but she says she’ll tell Jo and Gabe. Lenora then tells them what she knows about Ursa.

Ursa is a highly intelligent eight-year-old girl. Her IQ was over 160 in first grade. She became easily bored in school and acted out, creating wild stories to keep herself entertained. She could read words forward and backward with ease, which is how she came up with her home planet name, “Hetrayeh” and her alien name, “Earpood Na Asru.” They’re phonetically spelled, backward versions of “Earth” and “Ursa Ann Dupree.”

Ursa’s father, Dylan Dupree, was very smart too, but his life went downhill in high school when he met a woman, Portia Wilkins, who was a troublemaker. Jo suspects Portia was smart too, which is why she acted out, just like Ursa. Portia got Dylan into alcohol and drugs, and she became pregnant while they were still in high school—and neither Dylan nor Portia’s families supported them. They moved from Kentucky to Effingham, Illinois. They eventually got married after Ursa was born. Dylan worked as a contractor, and Portia worked as a waitress. Although they continued to drink heavily and do drugs, they stayed out of trouble with the law. Dylan drowned when Ursa was five, likely because of swimming while high.

Portia spiraled after Dylan’s death. She couldn’t keep a job, and her substance abuse intensified. She got DUIs and was investigated for child abuse. Social services found Ursa was mostly independent and decided that she was fine staying with Portia because her situation wasn’t dangerous. Portia used sex work to support her addiction.

One day, when Portia failed to show up for work, her friend had the police investigate. There was a note in the apartment saying Portia and Ursa went to another state for vacation. Police didn’t do anything because of the note, but eventually Portia’s body was found. They think she died of blunt force trauma on June 6. On June 7, Ursa showed up at Jo’s property.

Lenora and the police think the men who attacked Jo and Ursa are the same men who killed Portia, but they need Ursa to talk about it so they can further their investigation. Lenora wants Jo and Gabe to try to get information from Ursa.

Lenora leads Jo and Gabe to Ursa’s room. They aren’t allowed to talk about the night of Portia’s murder until the police arrive to document Ursa’s statement. They also can’t tell Ursa that Portia’s body has been found.

They enter Ursa’s room just in time to catch her attempting to remove her IV again. Ursa looks up and is ecstatic to see Jo and Gabe. They have a tender reunion. Ursa knew Jo and Gabe were in the hospital too, but Lenora hid that information so that Ursa wouldn’t be tempted to try to find them. Ursa tells Lenora she wants to live with Jo and Tabby. Lenora asks her to be patient.

Ursa cries over Little Bear’s death. Jo and Gabe promise to have a ceremony for him once Ursa gets out of the hospital. Ursa apologizes for not telling them that she thought those men were following them that night after they left the restaurant. Ursa says she stayed on Earth after her fifth miracle because Jo admitted to loving her and wanting to adopt her. Ursa wants nothing more than to live with Jo, and she threatens to go back to her planet if they don’t let her.

Gabe and Jo read Ursa a story, twice. Ursa’s pain meds and her emotions make her tired, and she falls asleep. When they exit the room, Lenora explains that the detective will be there soon. She’s satisfied with how comfortable Ursa is with Jo and Gabe and asks them to wait for the detective. Jo worries they’ll hold Ursa’s desires to live with Jo over her head to get her to talk, but Gabe reminds Jo that they need to solve the murder.

The same detective and deputy who interviewed Jo and Gabe show up several hours later, along with a child psychologist who has been assigned to Ursa’s case. The psychologist, Dr. Shaley, introduces herself and remarks that she’s impressed by Jo’s dedication. Jo makes it clear that Ursa is intelligent enough to know what’s going on and to choose to live with Jo. Dr. Shaley isn’t convinced and explains that many other families would love to take Ursa. Jo replies that Ursa will run away if she doesn’t get what she wants. The officers and psychologist go to Ursa’s room, but Jo and Gabe must wait.

Jo and Gabe talk about how powerless Jo feels. They worry they’ll never see Ursa again after the officers get what they want. Jo realizes that the only way she’ll even have a chance to keep Ursa is by cooperating.

Lenora retrieves Gabe and Jo. When Ursa sees them, she admits to trying to take out her IV again to go find them. Her eyes red from crying, she asks if she can leave with Jo when she’s well enough to go. Jo says it’s not up to her. Dr. Shaley looks uncomfortable.

The deputy and detective enter the room. Ursa is uneasy but understands why they’re there. Dr. Shaley talks to Ursa like she’s a toddler, which annoys Jo, who considers Ursa smarter than anyone else in the room. Lenora asks Ursa to tell Jo and Gabe what happened the night she ran away. Jo reassures Ursa, adding that she knows Hetrayeh is Earth backward. Ursa says she had to make up that name because people on Earth can’t pronounce her language. Ursa made up her alien name too because she uses Ursa Ann Dupree’s brain for everything and can do what Ursa did, like read things backward. Jo says they need Ursa to talk about what happened so that the police can arrest the bad men. Ursa says Gabe already killed them. The man at the restaurant who tipped them off was just their friend.

Jo and Gabe go back and forth with Ursa, but Ursa won’t budge from her alien story. They finally convince Ursa to talk about everything by recounting what she can remember with Ursa’s brain. Ursa recalls coming down from the stars to see the real Ursa jumping out a window, which is how she got the bruises on her legs. The real Ursa was afraid because the two men were chasing her. One of the men caught the real Ursa and choked her to death. When the real Ursa died, Ursa from the stars took her body, using her powers to revive the corpse. She knew the men would think she was the real Ursa, so she ran. She made it to a gas station where she hid in a truck bed. She rode in the truck all the way to Jo and Gabe’s street. After that, she hid in the shed on Jo’s property. That’s where she met Little Bear. She cries about Little Bear’s death again because he was her first friend on Earth.

Jo feels bad about pressing Ursa for information on something so traumatic but understands the stakes. She asks Ursa to explain why she jumped out the window. Ursa clarifies that it wasn’t her and then says the men were trying to kill Ursa. She refers to herself in the third person for the rest of the story. Ursa relays the men’s names, looking to the officers when she does, obviously smart enough to know that’s information only they would need. They’re the same two men that Gabe killed. Ursa knew one of them, Jimmy Acer, because he came around often, but the other man, Cory, was someone new to Ursa.

Ursa explains that Ace and Ursa’s mother went into Ursa’s mother’s bedroom and “they were partying” (285), which was normal. Jo can tell Ursa knows what they were doing. Ursa says that Cory sat in the living room with Ursa. Ursa was mad that Cory kept insulting the movie she was watching.

Ursa tears up at the next part but, with Jo’s encouragement, continues talking. Ursa says Cory put his hand on Ursa’s leg. He told her that she was going to end up like her mother, so she might as well start now. Ursa defended her mother and tried to escape, but Cory grabbed her and tried to remove her pajamas. Ursa screamed, so her mother emerged from the bedroom. She hit Cory with a chair to get him off Ursa. Then Ace took the chair and smashed Portia in the side of the head. Ursa says she saw brains coming out of her skull. Cory tried to strangle Ursa for being a witness, but Ursa escaped and ran for her bedroom window.

Ursa says the man at the restaurant is named Nate, and he sometimes hung out with Ace. The detective knows exactly who Ursa is talking about. With her statement, he can get Nate off the street and charge him with accessory to attempted murder. The detective shakes Gabe’s hand, thanking him for taking out two men whom law enforcement has been trying to arrest for years.

Before the officers and social workers can leave the room, Jo makes a speech declaring her desire to become Ursa’s foster parent. She feels it’s best to do this in front of Ursa so that she knows Jo did everything in her power to keep them together. She informs the officers that if she’s charged with a felony, she’ll lose her place in graduate school, and it will affect her ability to qualify as a foster parent for Ursa. She tells the social workers that she loves Ursa, and no other potential foster parents can claim that. She lists several other things, including her field of study, that feed Ursa’s natural curiosity; her inheritance, which allows her to support Ursa as a single parent; her bond with Ursa; and her sobriety.

In addition, Ursa says she wants to live with Jo. Jo assures Ursa that she loves her. She explains that their “fates are as topsy-turvy as the characters in Shakespeare’s plays” (289). Ursa replies that things will turn out like Twelfth Night, where everyone ends up happy. Jo and Gabe kiss Ursa goodbye, their future uncertain.

Back at Gabe’s hotel room, Jo takes a hot shower. Gabe rebandages her leg for, and they flirt, leading to intimacy. Gabe tells Jo he has to go home the next day because Lacey needs to return to St. Louis. He offers to take Jo home, but she needs to stay for Ursa. They’re worried that Ursa refers to herself in the third person.

Jo sees Gabe off in the morning. They exchange phone numbers and joke about being a real couple now. For the first time, Jo tells Gabe she loves him. He feels the same way. Jo and Ursa both miss Gabe at the hospital later.

The man from the restaurant, Nathan Todd, is arrested, so the hospital staff moves Ursa to the children’s hospital, where Jo is free to visit more often. She visits several days in a row, bringing activities to keep Ursa entertained. While Jo and Ursa work on a puzzle, Lacey enters. She brings two plush kittens, meant to resemble the real kittens, Juliet and Hamlet, as a gift for Ursa. Ursa puts them with her plush cat from Tabby, whom she named Caesar.

Lacey’s demeanor has shifted. She wants to know if Ursa is okay, and she has softened her attitude toward Jo and Ursa as a whole. She invites Jo to talk privately in the lobby.

Lacey explains that she and Gabe have talked about Jo’s situation with Ursa and with the law. The police are still considering charging her with a felony. Jo is uncomfortable with the fact that Gabe told Lacey everything, but she soon learns that Gabe and Lacey have mended their broken relationship.

Jo worries that staying with Ursa is only hurting her because she knows her chances of becoming Ursa’s foster parent are slim. Lacey explains that she came to see Jo because she wants to help. Lacey’s husband, Troy, is a family law attorney. He’s willing to represent Jo for free.

Lacey explains that Gabe invited George Kinney over and sat the whole family down for a discussion. Gabe told them he knew he was George’s son and had known since he was 13. Being in love with Jo has helped Gabe come around and accept the relationship between George and Katherine. He said he would have died the night of the shootout to protect Jo, so he understands the things George and Katherine did for love. They had an engagement party for George and Katherine, after which Lacey and Gabe stayed up late mending their relationship, talking about the past and about the resentment between them. Lacey explains her struggles with her own illness and how she blamed Gabe when it wasn’t his fault.

Lacey has never seen Gabe as happy as she’s seen him lately now that he’s with Jo. She apologizes for calling the police on Ursa. She and Jo remark that Ursa’s quarks brought Jo and Gabe together. Jo accepts Lacey’s offer. Lacey texts Troy, who’s waiting in the car.

Several days after Jo’s interview with Troy, Troy calls to inform her that the charges have been dropped. The police admire Gabe’s heroism, and charging Jo with crimes would bring Gabe into question. Because they don’t want to punish Gabe, Troy has convinced them to drop the charges against Jo as well. Jo’s case was also strengthened by the way the first deputy handled her call, telling her about the horrors of foster homes. Troy promises to continue advocating for Jo as a foster parent.

At the hospital, Lenora informs Jo that they have found a foster family for Ursa. Lenora wants Jo to be gone when the foster parents arrive after lunch. She asks Jo to help Ursa become comfortable with the idea of a new family. Lenora explains that Jo’s health, her status in school, and the fact that she’s single are factors affecting Jo’s eligibility. Lenora adds that Jo’s mothering of Ursa could have come from a place of grief for her own mother. Jo is upset that Ursa was made to talk about their relationship with the psychologist.

When Jo talks to Ursa about what’s going to happen, they both cry. The doctor comes in and consoles them. He thinks Jo is the best person for Ursa. He explains to Jo privately that Ursa cried out for Jo when they were prepping her for surgery. He thinks Ursa wouldn’t have held on if it weren't for her love for Jo.

Jo clears out for the foster family. When she returns the next morning, Lenora is angry. She explains that Ursa scared off the foster family. The family was prepared for Ursa’s alien story, but Ursa escalated it, claiming to be a people eater. Ursa threatened to kill and eat her foster family in their sleep, including their one-year-old foster child. The family pulled out, unwilling to take the risk.

The next day, Jo helps the backup foster couple learn what to expect with Ursa. She’s present for their meeting with Ursa this time, hoping to help the transition go more smoothly. However, Ursa is stubborn, not interacting with the couple and refusing to let Jo show them Ursa’s artwork. Hurt, Ursa asks Jo why she’s trying to make her live with the other couple. Defeated, Jo decides to leave. Ursa screams and cries after Jo, saying she loves Jo and only wants to be with Jo. The nurses and Lenora restrain Ursa so that Jo can leave.

That stormy night is Jo’s last night in the hotel. In the morning, she’ll say goodbye to Ursa. Jo wakes to a phone call just before ten o’ clock. Lenora says Ursa is missing. Jo goes to the hospital to help them search. The security cameras reveal Ursa left the hospital by stealing Jo’s clothes and walking out with a random man. Lenora and security worry the man abducted Ursa, but Jo knows Ursa just pretended to be with the man so that she could sneak out. Jo recalls Ursa asking questions about her hotel room a few days earlier, revealing that Ursa was planning her escape for a while. Jo also realizes her second key card copy is missing.

At Jo’s hotel room, she and Lenora find Ursa hiding in the bathtub, soaking wet. Ursa cries, wondering if Jo still loves her. Jo assures her that she does. Ursa tells Lenora that no matter what they do, she’ll run away until she can be with Jo. Jo doesn’t care anymore about appearances. She helps Ursa out of the wet clothes and into pajamas. The two climb into Jo’s bed and cuddle. Lenora calls off the search party and watches Jo and Ursa together.

A month later, Jo and Gabe accompany Ursa to the cemetery to lay Portia Wilkins Dupree to rest. She was the same age as Jo when she passed. Ursa places flowers on the grave and says goodbye. She refers to Portia as “Mama.” She asks to see “Daddy” next. Jo and Gabe take Ursa to her father’s grave in the same cemetery, where Ursa places a photo of the pinwheel galaxy on the headstone.

Ursa’s father, Dylan, loved space. He named Ursa after Ursa Major. He cracked Ursa’s window every night for her so that the magic from the stars would keep her safe. Ursa continued this tradition after his death, which is how she escaped through the window the night of her mother’s murder.

They return to Gabe’s home. Out front, George Kinney runs the egg stand and greets them warmly. Ursa says they’re heading to Little Bear’s funeral. They go into the woods behind the property. Ursa gathers wildflowers for the grave. Jo asks Gabe how he’s feeling. He says he’s feeling good but is afraid to trust how good things are. Jo says his loved ones will help him.

They hold a funeral for Little Bear. Gabe has made a cross to mark the grave. Ursa sings a song that her dad used to sing. She slips up by calling him “Ursa’s dad” at first but corrects herself. She sings “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and tells Little Bear she loves him.

They return to Gabe’s. It’s Ursa’s birthday, which Jo acknowledges is poor timing for the funerals. Inside Gabe’s house, Lacey, Troy, Katherine, George, and one of George’s daughters, who accepts Gabe as her half-brother, are waiting. They surprise Ursa with a party and gifts, including a plush Purple People Eater from Tabby, who couldn’t make it. Gabe gives Ursa the kittens Juliet and Hamlet, adding that her new foster home said they’d allow kittens. Ursa looks to Jo, as if to confirm this is true. Gabe remarks that Ursa has influenced Juliet and Hamlet’s fates, which Ursa says is a result of her quarks. Ursa has been working through her trauma and trying her best to stop referring to Ursa in the third person. She and Jo agreed that the alien acts as Ursa’s soul, “so Ursa and the alien could be a whole person” (318).

After the party, Gabe walks Jo and Ursa out. They plan to reunite for George and Katherine’s wedding, which is coming up soon. Gabe buckles Ursa into the backseat with her kittens. He says he’ll miss her, but Ursa says it won’t be long with her quarks working their magic. Gabe and Jo kiss goodbye. As Jo drives off, Ursa says Jo will see Gabe again soon because Ursa’s better at controlling her quarks.

When they arrive at Ursa’s foster home, it’s the rental house that Jo and Tabby now share. They’ve been approved to foster Ursa. Jo worries because Frances Ivey said no children, but when they get out of the car, Tabby informs them that Frances Ivey has offered to sell them the house because she’s staying in Maine to marry Nancy. Ursa exclaims that she made that happen too. They enter the house and let the kittens run loose, now officially united as a family.