Where the Forest Meets the Stars

At Gabriel’s house, Little Bear barks a greeting. Gabriel (whom the narrative begins calling Gabe) confesses that he let Ursa feed the dog. Jo remarks on the pattern she’s seeing. Gabe had to let Ursa feed Little Bear because he has chickens and piglets, and he couldn’t risk having a hungry dog around. Gabe raises animals for food and sustains himself as much as he can off the land. He says his mother thinks Ursa’s family has issues. She’s unsure about letting Ursa hang around, though. Ursa’s alien story only garnered pity from Gabe’s mother. Gabe and Jo debate whether Ursa believes her own alien story. Gabe thinks Ursa is too smart for that.

Ursa runs outside to greet them. She had a fun day on Gabe’s farm. She hugs Jo and tells her about the kittens. Gabe invites Jo inside for dinner. He grew every part of the meal from scratch. The inside of Gabe’s home is more modern than the outside implies. An old woman, whom Jo mistakes for Gabe’s grandmother, sits at the kitchen table. She’s Gabe’s mother, Katherine, and she greets Jo, having heard much about her from Ursa. Katherine and her husband built the house on the property and were good friends with George Kinney, who owns the property Jo is renting. Gabe’s parents met in college, and he has one sister, who is 19 years older than him. Gabe’s father died two years ago.

Ursa excitedly relays the names she chose for some of the kittens. She read Shakespeare to find names. She used the names Hamlet, Juliet, and Macbeth, so far, and plans to read Julius Caesar next. Jo enjoys watching how well Gabe handles Ursa. Katherine suggests Ursa’s parents may be mad that she’s out so late, but Ursa says her parents are happy she’s getting her PhD. Katherine shoots a look at Gabe.

Gabe has Ursa do some dishes to distract her while he and Jo talk, but Ursa knows they’re talking about her. Not wanting to risk having Ursa run away or putting her in foster care, Gabe and Jo work out a plan. They want Ursa to trust them so that she’ll reveal more about her situation. Jo will allow Ursa to stay with her overnight and drop Ursa off with Gabe when she leaves for her research each morning. Gabe will keep Ursa during the day and have her help on the farm. They still feel uneasy about keeping Ursa, but they don’t have any better ideas.

Jo and Gabe follow their arrangement with Ursa’s care, and Gabe takes Ursa shopping. She chooses purple clothes and shoes. Ursa begins looking healthier and happier. When Ursa returns to Jo at the end of the day, she eats dinner, showers, and relays all the fun things she did on Gabe’s farm.

On the fifth night, Ursa tells Jo how Gabe taught her to shoot a gun. Jo is upset with Gabe for allowing Ursa to handle guns. She leaves Ursa to finish dinner while she goes to Gabe’s place and scolds him for being careless with guns, but he assures her that they talked about safety and wore the proper equipment. Even though Ursa is smart, Jo isn’t convinced of the necessity of teaching a child how to shoot. Gabe thinks Jo is a “gun-control militant” (75), while Jo thinks Gabe is a “survivalist nut” (76). Jo implores him to keep his guns locked up around Ursa.

At home, Jo lectures Ursa about guns. Ursa agrees not to use Gabe’s guns anymore. Gabe comes over. Jo thinks he’s coming to continue their argument, but instead Gabe brings out a telescope to make peace. It’s a clear, dark night, so Gabe wants to show them the Pinwheel Galaxy. He jokes about Jo’s house being poorly lit and gun-free.

While Gabe shows Ursa how to use the telescope, Jo relaxes, exhausted, in a lawn chair. When they find the Pinwheel Galaxy, Ursa remarks that it looks like the birds’ nests that Jo monitors. Jo looks and agrees. Ursa points out which area she’s from and then asks if they can roast marshmallows. Jo is too tired, but Gabe offers to manage the fire and watch Ursa. Gabe tells Jo to rest and promises to use better judgment than he did earlier as his way of apologizing. Jo apologizes for her judgment of him.

Gabe explains that he runs the egg stand because of his mental health condition. He says he has “anxiety, depression, and […] agoraphobia.” His mental health condition worsened while he was in college, and he hasn’t attempted to return for his degree or get a real job since. He sees the egg stand as therapeutic and doesn’t enjoy being on medications. He feels like an embarrassment for flunking out of the college where his dad taught. When Jo consoles him, Gabe remarks that he can’t choose his genetics. This resonates with Jo because she inherited the BRCA 1 gene mutation from her mother, which is why they both had cancer. After a bit, Jo apologizes for bringing up her cancer because she’s worried about minimizing Gabe’s struggles.

Jo falls asleep while Gabe and Ursa roast marshmallows. She wakes up to Gabe gently brushing a mosquito off her face. Ursa is asleep in a lawn chair. Jo feels like Gabe is close enough to kiss her. Gabe carries Ursa inside and rests her on the couch. Jo puts out the fire. When Gabe returns, Jo thinks he wants to make a move, but Jo hasn’t been close to a guy since before her treatment. She’s nervous and asks him to leave.

The next day, Jo lets Ursa sleep for an extra 30 minutes. When Jo wakes her, Ursa begs to join Jo on her research. Jo agrees. They feed Little Bear before leaving. Jo and Ursa stop at Gabe’s house so that Ursa can tell him the plan. When Ursa returns to Jo’s car, she says Gabe is fixing a fence and seems mad. Ursa wonders if he’s mad that she’s not staying with him for the day. Jo worries he’s mad that she sent him away last night.

Jo takes Ursa to her study sites and teaches her about locating nests and reading bird calls. Ursa picks up on things very quickly and never complains about the bugs or the hiking. Ursa doesn’t find any nests on her own, but she finds several other creatures like deer, frogs, hummingbirds, and minnows. While Ursa swims in the creek, Jo checks her phone. Tabby has texted about a house for rent that she and Jo have wanted to live in for years. Tabby wants to secure it with Jo so that they can live there when Jo finishes her summer research. The owner needs to rent it as soon as possible, so Jo promises to meet Tabby in town the next day.

Jo ushers Ursa out of the creek so that she can dry off before they get back in the car. Seeing Ursa covered in mud reminds Jo of herself as a kid. Jo tells Ursa that she’ll be away tomorrow visiting a rental house. Ursa wants to join her. Jo worries about taking a strange girl hours away from where she was found but knows she may get back late tomorrow and doesn’t want Gabe’s mother to wonder why Ursa is still around. Jo agrees to take Ursa with her but warns her it will be boring. When Jo explains why she’s going, Ursa says she doesn’t want Jo to move out at the end of summer. Jo uses this to try to get Ursa to answer questions about her own home, but Ursa remains true to her alien story. She remarks that she’ll probably have seen five miracles by then anyway.

Tabby meets Jo at the rental house. She has purple boots, a pierced nose, and purple and blue streaks in her hair. She wears one of Jo’s college t-shirts to look more conservative for the landlady. Jo briefs Tabby on the situation with Ursa, explaining how she’s already tried calling the cops. Tabby is a hit with Ursa because they both love purple.

The landlady, Frances Ivey, must leave town urgently and is looking for someone to rent the house. Frances’s former partner, Nancy, was in a severe car accident, so Frances is moving for at least a year to take care of her. Jo and Tabby have several months left on the apartment they’ve leased together. Jo is skeptical about having two leases at once, but Tabby reminds her of her inheritance money. Jo agrees to use it if it means they can secure the house they’ve admired for years.

Frances has a policy against kids, dogs, and smoking. Cats are okay; Frances has two. Jo assures her she’s just babysitting Ursa for the day. Frances shows them the house and asks questions about their studies. She agrees to lease the house to Jo and Tabby.

Afterward, Jo, Ursa, and Tabby go to a restaurant for pizza. Ursa draws a picture with crayons. Tabby remarks how amazing it is that they got the house they’ve always wanted. Ursa replies that she made it happen because her kind can make good things happen for people they like. Tabby asks if she made Nancy get into a wreck. Ursa didn’t intend for that to happen, “but sometimes bad things happen to make good things happen” (95). Tabby says she hopes Nancy and Francis realize their love for one another. Ursa asks if they’re lesbians, and Tabby says they are. Ursa supports gay rights, which she read about on the internet while at Gabe’s house. Tabby asks about Gabe. Ursa shows her crayon drawing: a remarkably good picture of Gabe and his house.

When Ursa goes to the restroom, Tabby asks Jo about her. Jo says she searched the missing kids reports but doesn’t know what to do in the meantime since the police were no help. They talk about how smart Ursa is for her age and how she sticks to her alien story with conviction. Jo explains more about Gabe’s role in Ursa’s care.

When Ursa returns, Tabby shows her how to use the jukebox and puts on “The Purple People Eater” so that they can dance. Jo is a bit embarrassed but eventually joins them.

On the way home, Ursa draws Tabby. She has grown fond of Tabby in their short time together. Jo shares the sentiment, having lots of admiration for Tabby’s free spirit. Ursa declares Tabby her third miracle because “She didn’t know she was supposed to grow up, and that makes her more fun than other grown-up people” (101).

Jo pulls off to get gas in Effingham. Ursa is alarmed by the area and says she doesn’t want to stop. She refuses to use the restroom and ducks down, pretending to sleep. Once they’re driving again, Ursa asks to use the restroom.

Ursa wants to stop to see the kittens and Gabe. It’s not very late yet, so Jo agrees. They see an unfamiliar silver SUV in the driveway. Ursa insists they visit, so they go to the door. An older, angry-looking woman answers the door. She knows who Jo and Ursa are. She’s Gabe’s sister, Lacey. Lacey tells them Gabe is sick and not to bother him, leaving Jo and Ursa confused.

Jo takes Ursa with her for fieldwork again, unsure if Gabe is up for company. Ursa finds her first bird nest. Afterward, Jo decides to try Gabe’s again. Gabe’s mother, Katherine, answers the door. She explains that Gabe is unwell and wouldn’t want visitors. She won’t go into detail or ask Gabe if he wants to see them. As they’re leaving, they spot Lacey, who is angry that Katherine answered the door. She’s doing Gabe’s farm work and dismisses Jo’s offer to help.

Jo and Ursa agree that something is wrong. Jo worries Gabe’s illness relates to his mental health condition or that their interaction the other night triggered something in him. The next day, after fieldwork, Jo and Ursa try again. Lacey answers the door this time and tells them that Gabe doesn’t need friends who will leave at the end of the summer and instructs them to “[d]o him a favor and forget him now instead of later” (105). Lacey closes the door in their faces. Jo gets the impression that Lacey thinks Jo and Gabe are in a relationship.

Ursa notices Lacey didn’t lock the door. Although Jo tries to stop her, Ursa goes inside to find Gabe. Jo follows, sneaking past Lacey and Katherine in the kitchen. They find Gabe curled up in bed in his room. He’s surprised to see them. His eyes are puffy. Ursa comments that he doesn’t look sick. Gabe says there are different ways to be sick. He asked why they came. Jo jokes that they needed eggs.

Ursa asks to see the kittens, and Gabe obliges. He leads them out through the house. Lacey notices and yells at them for coming in. She scolds Gabe for being able to get out of bed now instead of before she came. Gabe replies that no one asked her to come. They go visit the kittens. Gabe apologizes for Lacey, adding that she’s more like a stepmother to him. Gabe seems to liven up in the company of Jo, Ursa, and the kittens. Jo invites him over for dinner. He goes to shower while Jo and Ursa return home to cook.

While Jo cooks, Ursa collects flowers for the dinner table. Jo thought they’d be eating outside, as usual, but Ursa sets the table with flowers and candles, creating a romantic atmosphere. Gabe shows up with a carton of eggs. Jo greets him and warns him about the dinner ambiance. Gabe is dressed up in a button-down shirt and light pants. Feeling a little nervous, Jo leaves Gabe and Ursa inside while she finishes cooking the burgers. While she’s gone, Ursa tells Gabe all about their trip into town and how Tabby is her third miracle.

As Jo and Gabe take seats at the table, Ursa turns off the main lights, leaving only the candles. Jo and Gabe chat about Jo field trips with Ursa. Gabe asks how Jo got interested in the topic. Jo’s parents were both scientists and throughout her childhood took her on many nature trips, during which she first became interested in birds. Jo was still a teen when her father died on a research trip after his helicopter crashed. Gabe and Jo also talk about Jo’s mother’s cancer, as well as Jo’s. Jo reveals that she had her ovaries removed in addition to her breasts. Although she’s worried about disclosing the information, Gabe doesn’t react negatively.

Gabe tells Jo about his parents. His mother was a poet before her Parkinson’s made it too difficult to write or type. She doesn’t want someone to write or type for her because it ruins the creative process.

Ursa brings out the bag of marshmallows and asks if she can roast some. Gabe says he should get going, but Jo asks him to stay.

Gabe, Jo, and Ursa sit around the fire. Ursa roasts marshmallows. Jo asks Gabe about Lacey. Gabe says she’ll probably leave now that he’s up. Gabe’s mother calls Lacey every time Gabe gets sad, is too quiet, or naps too long. She’s afraid of Gabe’s mental health condition worsening to the point that he’s no longer able to take care of her and the farm. Jo asks if that ever happened. Gabe says he wouldn’t know because Lacey is always there when things look a little bad, which causes him to shut down because he’s expected to.

He feels that, although Lacey complains, she secretly likes the power of managing the homestead for him because she can hang it over his head. He thanks Jo and Ursa for getting him out of bed. Before Gabe left for dinner, Lacey gave him a hard time about having Ursa around and mocked his relationship with Jo. Jo tells him that Lacey told her to dump him now instead of later. Gabe asks if she said anything else. He’s worried Lacey blamed Jo for his sadness. Jo secretly worries she’s to blame.

Lacey treated Gabe horribly when he was a child. She called him a toad, teased him relentlessly, and always competed with him despite being nearly 20 years older. Lacey once abandoned Gabe in the woods alone when he was five years old. She lied to their mother and said he wandered off. Although Gabe says he’s over it, his tone betrays him. Lacey always resented Gabe’s intelligence and delighted in his failures. She has two children of her own now, who are spoiled rotten, and she’s a failed writer. She studied English in college to try to get on their father’s good side, but she wasn’t good at it.

Ursa asks if Lacey will make Gabe leave. He says he shouldn’t stay too late, but Jo invites him to spend the night to get a break from his family. Ursa wants Gabe to join them tomorrow because they’re going to an area that Ursa says is “like a magic forest” (124). Gabe sleeps on the couch, while Jo shares her bed with Ursa.