In late August, Papi and Mami return home. Mami is frail, notably weaker than before she left for treatment in Galveston. Lupita holds her hand as Mami admires the mesquite, how it’s grown into something resembling beauty. Lupita admires the mesquite, too, but not for its beauty. Lupita appreciates the way the mesquite has grown through adversity, flowering when it wasn’t meant to. Papi reminds Lupita that Mami needs rest, and Mami asks to go back to San Vincente.

The family returns to their home and family in Mexico for a weekend visit. However, what used to be the respite from their foreign and consistently changing new home in the United States has now become a sad weekend event. The dynamic of the family has changed, as has their entire outlook on life. The birds, plants, sights, and sounds of Mexico are all familiar to Lupita, but she can’t escape the pervasive sadness of her mother’s impending death. Gabriela and Lupita set off for a hike to the river, and Lupita finally relaxes a little as Mami is being cared for by her sisters.