Bethie returns from roller-skating with her friends one Saturday to find her mother on the couch, which is strange, and her father upstairs in their only bathroom. Sarah explains he has an upset stomach. She knocks for Ken multiple times, asking if he will want dinner, but he doesn’t answer. Soon, Jo comes home, calling for her father. Finally, Jo forces the door open with a hanger, warning Bethie and Sarah to stay back because Ken is unconscious. Jo tries to give him CPR, as the paramedics do when they arrive, but Ken dies of heart failure in the bathroom.

The family grieves. Since Sarah is too upset, Jo takes charge of communicating the news and arranging funeral details. Jo only sobs into Mae’s arms when she arrives, but Bethie and Sarah frequently cry. Despite their mourning, Sarah must get a job to cover their finances. Uncle Mel, Ken’s younger brother and a wealthy optometrist, hugs Bethie, brushing her butt. She’s shocked Uncle Mel would touch her this way. Later, he sobs into Bethie’s arms and touches her breast. She pushes him off. He offers Bethie a job babysitting her cousins, which she accepts due to her mother’s insistence.