Walking through Quartz Creek, Selena reflects on her relationship with her aunt, whom she had not seen in many years, but who continued to send postcards until three years ago. The town’s name came from the final postcard Amelia sent, which invited Selena to visit. Selena meditates on how easily a person can lose everything and catches herself speaking aloud. This causes her to grow self-conscious: “[I]f you talked to yourself, you looked crazy” (15). As she moves through town, she notices the distinctive names attached to local buildings and homes, including the church, called the House of Our Lady of the Palos Verdes.

A sudden loud buzzing startles Selena, and she briefly fears that she has disturbed a rattlesnake. The sound, however, resolves into something familiar—a cicada—and momentarily grounds her. She reaches the neighboring property belonging to Grandma Billy, where she encounters a peacock perched along the wall. Grandma Billy emerges, chases the bird away, and introduces both herself and the peacock, Merv. She offers Selena a drink, which Selena accepts. After stopping to pet Copper, Grandma Billy invites Selena and the dog to wait on the porch of her home, called Blue Horned Toad House, while she retrieves water for Copper and iced tea for them both.

The two women sit together and talk. Selena describes herself as a deli manager, a label that makes her feel “faintly ridiculous, as out of place as peacocks” (20). Grandma Billy asks whether Selena is a “stray” Amelia once took in, and when Selena clarifies that she is Amelia’s niece, Grandma Billy’s demeanor shifts. She reassures Selena that Amelia’s house is safe to stay in, explaining that she has been watching over it and that it contains nothing more threatening than “desert ghosts.” Grandma Billy also admits that she has taken some of Amelia’s belongings for safekeeping. She retrieves a stack of bedding from inside her house and gives it to Selena, offering to bring more if she stays, though Selena maintains that she cannot remain.

Selena proceeds to Jackrabbit Hole House and finds it small and overgrown but structurally sound. She pauses to take in the building, uneasy with the thought that if she allows herself to care for the house, she will inevitably lose it. She attempts to list reasons not to stay but acknowledges that her exhaustion and lack of money leave her with few options. Deciding that she can remain for the night and address the consequences later, she hesitates. At that moment, Copper pulls free from Selena’s distracted grip and settles decisively on the front porch of the house.

After sitting on the porch for some time, Selena cautiously enters Jackrabbit Hole House. She flips a light switch and is relieved when the electricity works. She then surveys the dust-covered interior, thinking that “Walter would have hated it” (28). She turns on the kitchen sink, which rattles loudly as Grandma Billy warned it would, and leaves the water running while she searches the house for snakes. Finding none, she returns to the sink and watches the initially dirty water gradually run clear, though she feels uneasy about wasting water in the desert. She gives Copper water and shares her remaining granola bars with the dog, planning to use the last of her money to buy dog food the following day.

As Selena explores the house, she notices a strange, unsettling object she initially believes to be a kachina doll. In the bathroom, she encounters a flamboyantly decorated toilet that gives her pause. She imagines Walter’s reaction, thinking that he would likely refuse to use it—or even destroy it. She also observes a drain opening that leads directly to the garden, creating a possible entry point for snakes. Exhausted, Selena spreads a sheet over the bed with the intention of making it properly later and falls asleep.

She wakes in the early evening to Grandma Billy calling her name. When Selena goes to the bathroom, she is again startled by the toilet, and Grandma Billy explains that Amelia won it in a church raffle. Noticing Selena’s condition, Grandma Billy urges her to drink water. Selena realizes that she is unusually thirsty and reflects that dehydration makes it more difficult for her to remember her rehearsed conversational “scripts.” When Grandma Billy sees Selena drinking with her hands, she remembers that she forgot to bring cups.

Grandma Billy then leads Selena to a wheelbarrow filled with items from Amelia’s house, along with eggs, cornbread, and oil. She shows Selena how to use the coffee press that is among the supplies. Together, they search the house for spiders. They find only a harmless house spider, which they leave undisturbed. In the fireplace, they discover a scorpion, which Grandma Billy notes will die once the fire is lit. Outside, she points out the woodpile, warning that it likely contains scorpions and black widows, and promises to bring gloves for Selena to use. Selena asks whether they might move the scorpion outside instead of killing it. Though Grandma Billy finds the request strange, she agrees. Selena wonders whether scorpions can feel gratitude, an idea Grandma Billy dismisses.

Grandma Billy instructs Selena to light the fire herself, explaining that the “House needs to know you’re moving in” (36). As the fire grows, Grandma Billy notices the object Selena mistook for a doll and identifies it as a roadrunner statue called Snake-Eater. She explains that Amelia acquired Snake-Eater as one of her many strays and remarks that while Amelia liked him, she herself does not. However, Grandma Billy assumes that Snake-Eater will leave Selena alone as long as Selena leaves him alone.

Outside, the scorpion understands that its life has been spared.

Selena wakes, momentarily unsure where she is or why she is there but soon remembering as she takes in her surroundings. Although she feels clearer-headed after sleeping, the reality of her circumstances remains daunting. She debates turning on her phone, knowing that doing so would allow Walter to locate her. She recalls sending him an email stating that she needed time away but recognizes that any renewed contact would likely undermine her resolve. Imagining how easily he would reassert control, Selena postpones the decision and instead shares breakfast with Copper on the porch.

As she eats, Selena outlines her options: She can either call Walter or remain in Quartz Creek long enough to earn money for a train ticket home. She recalls her friend Ellen’s unequivocal support and reflects on the practical obstacles she faces, including the lack of housing, transportation, and savings. Despite these limitations, Selena decides to stay at least another day, reasoning that she has temporary shelter and can reassess later.

She sets out for town with Copper to buy dog food, look for work, and inform Jenny that she is staying. Along the way, Selena observes the desert landscape in daylight and reflects on how grief and caretaking during her mother’s illness fractured her sense of time. She encounters the priest, Father Aguirre, outside the church. Initially flustered by the awkwardness of the interaction, she is soon reassured by his warmth and humor. He expresses sympathy for her loss and offers to show her Amelia’s burial site when she is ready. He also invites Selena to a community meal at the church.

At the post office, Selena confirms with Jenny that she is staying temporarily. Jenny agrees to list her as “in residence.” Selena then visits the general store, where she encounters Connor, the man who previously gave her a ride. When she attempts to purchase dog food, Connor informs her that Amelia prepaid a store credit before her death, leaving over $500 on account. Though startled by this unexpected inheritance, Selena accepts the dog food and resolves not to convert the credit into cash, viewing it instead as a gift—particularly one meant for Copper.

Returning to Jackrabbit Hole House in the heat, Selena becomes increasingly fatigued and dehydrated. While drinking water at the sink, she hears a man’s voice demanding to know who she is and why she is there. Startled, she realizes moments later that no one is present. The tension breaks when Grandma Billy arrives with cups.

Grandma Billy notices Selena’s exhaustion and encourages her to rest. Selena admits that she struggles with social interaction and feels overwhelmed by the number of encounters she has had in a single day. Grandma Billy encourages Selena to take a nap and promises to return later so that they can attend the church meal together. Selena agrees, surprised to find that she genuinely looks forward to it.