At the hospital, Diamond learns Wonder violently fought the paramedics and had to be sedated. She keeps vigil, wanting him to know he is not alone. When Priscilla and Sabre arrive, Priscilla thanks Diamond, signaling that their brief freedom is over. Priscilla questions her, but Diamond protects Wonder by staying mostly silent. Priscilla asks her not to betray him once they are home. Diamond refuses a hotel room, insisting she wants to stay with him when he wakes.

While Sabre takes Diamond for food, Priscilla stays with Emanuel, struggling with her craving for pills and failing to draw him out. At the waffle restaurant, Sabre gives Diamond his jacket when she shivers. She notices the waitress’s interest in him and, up close, sees a smaller, less certain man than his pulpit persona. Sabre presses her for information; Diamond remains loyal and silent.

Back at the hospital, Priscilla asks Sabre if he remembers how they met outside Annie Ruth’s Grill when she was nearly 21. He called her limp an angel on her hip; now his glazed look tells her he neither remembers nor cares. She confronts him for wanting worshippers, not a wife. He minimizes the situation, saying boys will be boys and that righteousness explains all.

Wonder wakes hoarse. In the hallway, Sabre weeps and vows to fix everything. Diamond reflects that people do not snap; they erode. In the room, Wonder looks at her and says her name in a way that steadies her. Dr. Nichols reports MDMA and painkillers in Wonder’s system and warns of possible memory loss. Priscilla notes he may be committed for evaluation. Diamond defends Wonder as one of the kindest boys at school. Priscilla recalls the Wooten girl, whose cheek Emanuel once bit. Suddenly, Wonder blurts that a girl named Sonja is pregnant—Diamond’s mother’s name, which she never told him—and says he was in hell. When Diamond asks about the white girl, he seems confused. Both parents demand answers. Diamond reminds Priscilla she promised not to betray him and then asks if this means they will have a wedding before the baby comes.

In the following weeks, the Winfreys are absent from church. Diamond misses her period; a home pregnancy test reads positive at once. On Fourth Sunday, Sabre returns to Seven Seals Church and, before the congregation, confesses to failures and indulging the flesh. He announces he is stepping down to work on his personal life and exits through a side door. The congregation erupts. Kathareen weeps openly as Bertha whispers to Maggie. Diamond reflects on the power of women like Kathareen and the white girl from the coast.

The day before Halloween, Bertha calls Priscilla: The remains of her brother, Midas T. (Tyrone) Benny, have been found in Coahoma County. Priscilla visits to comfort her. Bertha’s talk of Tyrone’s love of writing reminds Priscilla of the notebook she believes Emanuel has, prompting her to consider a possible connection but avoid pursuing it. Bertha asks if Sabre will speak at the service and offers Priscilla nerve pills, which she accepts.

At home, Priscilla finds Sabre and their sons laughing despite the news. Later, in her closet, she decides to leave Sabre and initially plans to stay with her friend, Wilma. Sabre accuses her of being a lesbian. They argue about their marriage and their sons’ troubles. When she threatens to expose their family secrets if he tries to stop her, he relents and hands over keys to a rental he owns on Barnes Street. On a cold Tuesday at Heaven’s Garden cemetery, Priscilla attends Tyrone’s graveside service; only one of his children appears. Sabre delivers a fiery sermon, which she listens to while privately rejecting its sincerity.

Diamond tells Maggie she does not want her baby born during the Reaping Season, already marked by tragedy: After homecoming, Champ was killed in a car crash and Marlon was left paralyzed. Wonder has transferred to Dominion Academy, and Sabre has quit coaching. Diamond thinks about the Joker’s notebook hidden under her mattress, briefly connecting it to Tyrone’s death and Wonder’s earlier claim of being in trouble, then dismisses the thought. She rarely sees or speaks to him now; his phone extension has been cut, and he no longer sings in church.

Priscilla visits the house on Barnes Street with Ivy and begins preparing to live there independently. Over the next days, Ivy helps her move in. When Sabre delivers appliances and tries to discuss their relationship, she rebuffs him. Around this time, Diamond calls Wonder, but he shows little interest in her or the baby, and she hangs up. When Maggie and Diamond pick up Priscilla for the appointment, Wonder does not come out. Priscilla offers an excuse, which Diamond does not believe. Upset, Diamond considers ending the pregnancy but ultimately reaffirms her belief in Wonder’s prophecy. Dr. Wells confirms she and the baby are healthy. Priscilla takes them to lunch after the appointment.

While adjusting to her new routine, Priscilla bikes to Carpenter’s antique store and has a panic attack on the trail. A young couple helps her up; she feels shame and a startling arousal at the young man’s touch. At Carpenter’s, Wilma shows her a king-sized iron bed, which she buys. Later, Priscilla sees Sabre’s car pass her new house. Emanuel arrives unexpectedly with a box. Startled, she asks if he came to kill her, then questions whether he hurt the Wooten girl and whether his amnesia is real or willful. She tells him he is going to be a father; he says he is not ready. While they rake leaves, Emanuel’s pager—given by his father for emergencies—goes off. After a brief interaction, Emanuel leaves. Priscilla drinks and unpacks. At the bottom, she finds a box from his room she had been unable to locate before and feels compelled to finally see what it contains.

The week before Thanksgiving, Diamond waits for Bunny to drive her past the Winfreys’ house, but Bunny stands her up. Frustrated, Diamond calls Wonder’s house; an unfamiliar man answers, and she hangs up. Priscilla calls and urges Diamond to focus on herself and her baby and to build her own life. She ends by telling Diamond to have Maggie bring her to the house on Sunday. On Friday at school, a girl named Shanice taunts Diamond, saying she heard Wonder has “jungle fever” at his new school. Diamond does not respond but remains affected by the remark. On Saturday, Diamond goes to Kathareen’s house. She asks for help to make Wonder marry her and remain devoted to her. Kathareen refuses, emphasizing that love cannot be forced and encouraging Diamond to focus on her own life. When Diamond asks about Kathareen’s power over men, she replies that her only power is not giving hers away. She sends Diamond home with a bag containing food items. Diamond leaves without accepting Kathareen’s advice and continues to hold onto her expectations about Wonder and their future.