Chapter 23 Summary

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

After leaving Jude, Sariyah calls Malcolm to update him on everything they discussed. Malcolm is unusually quiet and rushes off the phone, which Sariyah interprets as him immediately starting to investigate Rincon on his own, since he does not trust the police to handle the case properly. She feels a sense of relief that Deja has people like them looking out for her.

Sariyah stops at an ATM to deposit the cash she earned from her Santa Bag hustling. Handling the hundred-dollar bill makes her feel dirty, but she reminds herself that money is money. Once home, she goes online and signs Josiah up for zoo camp, paying the fee without first confirming with her mother that he is allowed to attend. She realizes her mistake only after hitting the confirm button, but she reasons that since the cost is no longer an issue, her mother should have no objection.

She walks to her mother's bedroom and knocks hesitantly. Her mother is lying in bed, awake but motionless. Sariyah asks about the zoo camp, and her mother reminds her that she already told Josiah no because it was too expensive. Sariyah almost tells her the truth about having the money, but she knows her mother's pride would reject it. Instead, she lies, claiming that Jude has a cousin who works at the zoo and can get Josiah in for free. Her mother agrees, and Sariyah also asks if Josiah can stay the night at his friend Eddie's house, which her mother allows.

Sariyah then asks about her mother's work schedule, noticing her hotel uniform is balled up on the floor. Her mother reveals she has been fired. Sariyah is shocked and asks why, but her mother deflects with a sarcastic comment about Sariyah's school performance. When Sariyah presses for details, her mother becomes agitated and throws a tissue box at her, ordering her to close the door. Sariyah backs out, resisting the urge to slam the door or scream. She hears her mother crying through the wall and realizes that her mother has been trying to contain her despair in her room, and Sariyah forced her way in.

Back in her own room, Sariyah suppresses her emotions until she is alone. She cries into her stuffed pig, Tibby, squeezing him so hard that a seam pops and stuffing comes out. She tries to push the stuffing back in, but it keeps popping out, which she sees as a metaphor for her life—she cannot escape or fix the damage. She patches the pig with a Band-Aid and runs a rare bath, letting a few tears fall into the tepid water. Malcolm texts her, but she ignores his messages, too drained to respond. She spends most of Sunday in bed with her phone on Do Not Disturb.

On Sunday evening, she forces herself to pick up Josiah from Eddie's and takes him grocery shopping. Josiah notices her quietness and asks what is wrong. She deflects by saying she is not ready for school to start again, and Josiah agrees. She shows him the zoo camp confirmation email, and he hugs her in gratitude.

Inside the grocery store, Tim confronts her. He calls her “Bag lady” and references the previous day's encounter. He demands that she give him something, offering to pay for her groceries if she does. She refuses. He then offers to connect her with people who will pay for her ability, expecting a cut for himself. She declines again. As he leaves, she senses his need for a pocketknife, which frightens her. A store employee intervenes, and Tim backs off, but Sariyah is shaken. She wants her parents, she wants control, and she is scared. She ignores Josiah's questions and directs the cart to the frozen food aisle.

Key Events

Sariyah calls Malcolm to update him after leaving Jude; Malcolm rushes off to investigate on his own.
She deposits her cash and signs Josiah up for zoo camp online, paying without prior permission.
She lies to her mother about Jude's cousin getting Josiah in for free, and her mother agrees.
Her mother reveals she has been fired from her job, becomes upset, and throws a tissue box at Sariyah.
Sariyah cries alone, squeezing Tibby until a seam pops, then patches the pig with a Band-Aid.
She ignores Malcolm's texts and spends Sunday in bed.
She picks up Josiah and goes grocery shopping, where Tim confronts her.
Tim offers to connect her with buyers for her ability; she refuses.
As Tim leaves, Sariyah senses his need for a pocketknife, which frightens her.

Character Development

Sariyah continues to carry the weight of her family's financial instability. She lies to her mother to secure Josiah's camp, showing both her protectiveness and her willingness to deceive for the sake of her brother's happiness. Her reaction to her mother's firing reveals her emotional suppression—she holds in her tears until she is alone, and even then she cries into a stuffed pig rather than letting her mother hear. The popped seam of Tibby becomes a symbol of her own unrepairable stress. She also demonstrates a growing awareness of the moral weight of her ability: she refuses Tim's offer to monetize her power, and she is genuinely frightened when she senses his need for a pocketknife, connecting it to the violence she witnessed with Ms. Jess.

Mama is shown in a state of deep depression and despair. She lies in bed, barely responsive, and her firing pushes her further into isolation. Her outburst with the tissue box shows her loss of control and her inability to accept help, even from her own daughter. Her pride prevents her from accepting the truth about the camp money, and she lashes out when Sariyah asks too many questions.

Tim emerges as a more threatening presence. He has been watching Sariyah, knows her name, and uses her brother to pressure her. His offer to connect her with buyers is framed as a hustle, but his need for a pocketknife suggests a potential for violence. He represents the exploitation and harassment that Sariyah fears from the world outside her family.

Josiah remains innocent and unaware of the family's struggles. He is excited about the camp and worries about Sariyah's mood, but he does not understand the financial or emotional pressures she faces. His presence reminds Sariyah of what she is trying to protect.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Financial instability is a central theme. Sariyah's deposit of the hundred-dollar bill, her lie about the camp cost, and her mother's firing all highlight the precariousness of their situation. Sariyah's internal debate about canceling the camp versus the refund shows her weighing her brother's happiness against their survival.
Maternal depression is depicted through Mama's immobility, her sarcastic comments, and her violent outburst. Sariyah's decision to cry in a separate room reflects the emotional distance between them and the burden of caretaking that falls on Sariyah.
Emotional suppression is a motif. Sariyah repeatedly holds in her tears, waits until she is behind closed doors, and even then tries to control her breakdown. The image of her crying into Tibby while her mother cries on the opposite side of the apartment underscores their parallel isolation.
The burden of sensing needs is explored through Sariyah's reaction to Tim's need. She describes the sensation as “a million tiny worms” and feels violated by the knowledge. This motif ties to the moral weight of her ability—she cannot choose what she senses, and sometimes the knowledge is dangerous.
The unfixable damage metaphor is explicit when Tibby's stuffing keeps popping out. Sariyah sees it as a metaphor for her life, where problems cannot be pushed back in or repaired. The Band-Aid is a temporary patch, not a real fix.
Exploitation and harassment are embodied by Tim. He uses Sariyah's financial desperation as leverage, offering money in exchange for her ability, and he invokes her brother to pressure her. His need for a pocketknife introduces a threat of violence.
Childhood innocence is represented by Josiah, who is excited about camp and unaware of the family's financial crisis. Sariyah's lie to protect his innocence is both loving and burdensome.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens Sariyah's internal conflict between her desire to help her family and the ethical and emotional costs of her ability. Her mother's firing escalates the financial pressure, forcing Sariyah to consider more desperate measures, including the possibility of hustling with Santa Bag again. Tim's offer and his threatening presence raise the stakes, showing that Sariyah's power can attract dangerous people. The chapter also reveals Sariyah's emotional vulnerability—her breakdown with Tibby and her inability to respond to Malcolm's texts show that she is nearing her limit. The metaphor of the popped seam and the Band-Aid reinforces that some damage cannot be easily fixed, setting up future challenges.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Sariyah lie to her mother about the zoo camp, and what does this reveal about their relationship?

Sariyah lies because she knows her mother's pride would prevent her from accepting the money, even if it came from Sariyah's hustling. She claims Jude's cousin can get Josiah in for free, which is a fabrication. This reveals that Sariyah feels she must protect her mother from the truth, and that their relationship is strained by financial shame and emotional distance. Sariyah is willing to deceive to ensure Josiah's happiness, but the lie also creates a burden of secrecy.

2. How does Sariyah's reaction to Tim's need for a pocketknife connect to earlier events in the chapter?

Earlier, Sariyah felt dirty handling the hundred-dollar bill and was already uneasy about her hustling. Tim's offer to connect her with buyers makes her feel exploited, and his need for a pocketknife introduces a violent possibility. This connects to the chapter's theme of the moral weight of sensing needs—Sariyah cannot control what she senses, and sometimes the knowledge is frightening. It also echoes the violence she witnessed with Ms. Jess, making her more cautious about using her ability for money.

3. What does the popped seam in Tibby symbolize, and how does Sariyah's response to it reflect her emotional state?

The popped seam and the stuffing that keeps coming out symbolize Sariyah's feeling that her problems cannot be fixed or contained. She tries to push the stuffing back in, but it pops out again, which she explicitly calls a metaphor for her life. Her decision to patch it with a Band-Aid rather than sew it properly shows that she is only applying temporary fixes to deep emotional wounds. This reflects her exhaustion and her sense of being overwhelmed by her family's financial and emotional crises.