Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard

Sam and Liz spend the night outside and then make their way to Bobby’s apartment. They know that his mother leaves early for work, so they wait until they see her leave and then go in. Inside the apartment, they both shower and use Bobby’s mother’s makeup and deodorant. Then, Sam cuts off almost all of her long hair in a symbolic break from her family. Her father had liked her to grow it long, so this is an act of rebellion. Liz helps her shave most of it off in a show of emotional support.

More and more, they spend time with Carlos. The trio hustles for food, cash, and places to sleep. They stay at friends’ apartments, and Liz notices that Carlos has many friends. He also knows a lot of girls, but won’t introduce them to Liz or Sam, even when they all meet on the street.

Liz turns sixteen and her friends get her a Carvel ice cream cake to celebrate. Despite her happiness to be with them, her birthday highlights her isolation and makes her realize how much she misses her family and how much she wants Jeanie and Peter to get back together so that the four of them can live in the same apartment again.