Buckeye

After Becky receives Margaret’s letter, she and Cal argue for several weeks and then separate. Becky goes to see Felix to speak with him about Tom. Tom is already upset because of Margaret leaving, and Felix doesn’t want to put him through any more heartbreak. They agree not to tell him that Cal is his biological father until he’s an adult.

Felix and Cal also talk. Felix is not happy about the situation, but Cal is surprised when he says that he has no desire to hit him. Their conversation is short and stilted. Cal moves to an apartment but continues to work for Roman at the hardware store. Becky gives her parents very little information about the separation and asks for privacy. Cals senses that Roman would like to know more, but Roman respects Becky’s wishes.

Life goes on. A polio vaccine is finally developed. Vietnam explodes into civil war. New music plays on the radio, and both Felix and Cal go to work every day. Felix is busy with Tom, whose anger toward Margaret takes the form of trouble at school and silence at home. Skip tries to assure Tom that his parents are also separated, but their situations feel different to Tom.