Where Butterflies Wander

In the morning, Penelope wakes up and decides that she wants to meet Davina properly. She wakes up Hannah and convinces her to take her to visit Davina. Hannah leads Penelope through the woods to the cabin, holding her hand all the while. Penelope is still frightened of Davina, but she trusts Hannah. When she is introduced, Penelope sees that Davina is just another person. While Hannah takes a swim, Davina shows Penelope how to collect chicken eggs and vegetables for breakfast. Penelope notices how hundreds of butterflies flock to the garden, including rare species like white admirals. Davina shows Penelope her bee balm flowers that attract butterflies, and Penelope thinks about how much Bee would have loved to see all of this. When Penelope tells Davina how Bee visits her as a butterfly, Davina doesn’t judge her like everyone else does. Penelope feels comfortable enough to expand on her thoughts and admits that she is afraid of forgetting her sister. Davina tries to help Penelope see that she carries her sister with her everywhere she goes. She relates to Penelope because she still grieves the loss of Rosalinda.

Davina gives Penelope a bee balm flower dipped in honey and instructs her to water it to keep it alive until its roots are long enough to plant. When Hannah returns from her swim, Penelope is stunned to see how rejuvenated she looks. Hannah asks about the medicine, but Davina regretfully explains that she can’t give Hannah any medicine that her mother disapproves of. After eating a warm breakfast together, Hannah and Penelope go home so that Penelope can find a place for her new flower.

Brendon wanders toward Davina’s cabin with Banjo by his side, hoping to snag a signal from Davina’s satellite internet. He finds a spot to sit in the woods nearby, but one of Davina’s cats attacks Banjo. The two animals spar until Davina comes with a broom and uses it to sweep Banjo out of the way so that she can grab her cat. She looks at Brendon in a way that signals him to leave, and he carries Banjo home, terrified that he is about to be responsible for another death. When Brendon sees his mother, he tells her that Davina’s cat attacked Banjo and that Davina attacked Banjo with a broom. Marie decides to tell Davina to leave the property herself.

On the way to speak to Davina, Marie thinks about Bee and searches her mind for the source of her death. Marie tells herself repeatedly that Bee’s death was an accident, but she still looks for a way to explain it. When Marie gets to the cabin, she’s surprised to see that Davina is a tall and sturdy woman, not a stereotypical “witch” like Marie imagined. She tells Davina that she has to leave because the property is being sold, and Davina replies, casually but confidently, that she has no intention of leaving. She claims that the property was left to her by Marie’s grandfather and that she has lived there for two decades. Marie has never heard of Davina before, but Davina has heard of Marie: She hurts Marie by recalling that her grandfather used to say that Marie was never satisfied in life. She adds that Marie’s grandfather was deeply hurt when Marie decided to cut him out of her life. Marie repeats that the property is being sold and gives Davina two weeks to vacate it. Davina simply repeats that she doesn’t plan to leave.

Davina pretended to be calm when Marie confronted her, but she was nervous and hurt. She knows she pushed things too far by talking about Marie’s grandfather and his opinions. Davina thinks back to how Marie’s grandfather (the colonel) took her in when she returned from serving as a nurse in Afghanistan, following her injuries. She spent several years in pain as her face healed, and when the colonel died, Davina was left feeling lost and alone. Davina’s husband abandoned her after she was injured, taking their daughter, and Davina has not seen them since. Davina goes for a swim in the river to change her mood. When she finishes, Rock is there. They drink soda together and discuss the possibility of Davina moving. Davina assures Rock that she has no intention of leaving. She also notices how Rock and Hannah look at each other and suggests that Rock invite Hannah over for some catfish fritters. Rock mentions how one of the locals, a guy named Danny, is angry that Davina keeps taking the animals out of his traps.

Hannah is writing letters from Juliet while Penelope sits and talks to her bee balm flower. Rock arrives and asks Hannah to join him for dinner. Hannah happily but bashfully agrees. She notices Rock’s crooked smile and blushes. After Rock leaves, Hannah writes about attraction and how it can be either instant or develop over time, as well as how it is usually about much more than physical appearance.

Leo feels disconnected from his children, especially Brendon, with whom he seemingly has nothing in common. All of Leo’s attempts to take an interest in Brendon and his hobbies have failed, and lately, Leo hardly bothers to try. When Leo hears that Hannah is going to Rock’s house for dinner, it makes him uncomfortable, but he doesn’t say so. He can see that Hannah has a migraine and suggests that she lie down before going. Later, Penelope tells Leo that he needs to convince Marie to let Hannah use the medicine from Davina because it works. When Leo talks to Marie, she tells him about her conversation with Davina and adds that she found out that various code violations mean that the whole cabin will need to be removed in order to sell the property. Marie says that she plans to take Davina to court to evict her.

Marie gets in the car to take Brendon to town with her so that she can talk to an attorney. Brendon asks about getting a pool table for the new house, as he and Leo have been playing together lately. Marie is distracted by thoughts of Davina and how she feels like Penelope and Hannah have chosen a “side” against Marie and Brendon. Leo is somewhere caught in the middle. As they drive away, they come across a group of protesters supporting Davina’s right to stay in her cabin. This makes Brendon angry, especially since Banjo is still healing from his injuries.

Rock comes over to tell Davina about how Hannah came for dinner and the blackberry pie she made. Davina gets a call from a local woman who is about to give birth and has to rush out to act as her midwife. Later, the sheriff comes to Davina’s cabin to serve her a notice of court proceedings against her for eviction. Shocked that things are unfolding so quickly, Davina thinks back to when the army truck exploded and her face was burned. She wonders how her life might have been different if that had never happened and if she would still have her daughter in her life. Later in the day, Leo comes by to talk to Davina about the upcoming plans to sell the property.

Leo notes Davina’s scars but sees that she has a certain beauty about her. He also admires her ingenuity and the way she has survived on her own for so long. Still, Leo is there on his wife’s behalf and awkwardly tries to tell Davina to leave. Davina explains that she has lived there for a long time and that the colonel would never approve of Marie selling the land. Leo offers to pay for Davina’s relocation, but she isn’t interested in any sort of compensation. She is attached to her home because it carries memories of her past and her loved ones. Leo understands this because he was attached to the home in which Bee lived. Davina also suggests that Leo and Marie should just give her the cabin and its surrounding land and leave her be. When Leo gets home, he relays what happened to Marie, and Marie tells Leo to decide whether he’s on her side or Davina’s.

Hannah listens as her parents argue and hears one of them leave. She misses the days before Bee died, when her parents never fought. Leo comes in to check on Hannah and give her more tincture from Davina. He tells her not to let Marie know about it, which further signals to Hannah that her parents are drifting apart. Still, she is grateful for her father’s efforts. Hannah also tells her father that she’s been swimming in the river and that she now understands why he likes to go for runs.

Brendon and Marie arrive at the courthouse for the hearing and are surrounded by dozens of protesters as they enter. People oink at them, implying that they are “capitalist pigs” (123), and Brendon is certain that he and his mother are correct about Davina. When Davina enters, the whole room goes silent. Davina’s PTSD is triggered when someone drops their phone noisily. She recoils into herself and needs several minutes to recover. After Marie’s lawyer states their case, Davina states her own. Because Davina’s only has the word of a deceased man and no legal evidence, she loses the case. Davina is instructed to leave immediately, and her belongings will be removed. The judge, Marie’s lawyer, and those present in the courtroom think that the outcome is unfair, but the law is on Marie’s side. Marie and Brendon walk out believing they did the right thing.

The press hears about the eviction, and Marie’s home becomes surrounded by more protesters. Marie feels guilty that Davina didn’t even have time to collect her things, but not enough to change her mind. Brendon is enraged by the presence of the protesters, and a deputy stays outside the house all night. At one point, someone tosses a huge rock through the window, and Leo fetches Marie’s grandfather’s shotgun. He screams at the people outside, threatening to kill them if they threaten the family again.

Davina is on the river in her boat, headed to Rock’s family’s house to stay there until she can figure out where to go. Still thrown off by the events of the day and by having her PTSD triggered, Davina closes her eyes and takes herself back to the day of the truck explosion. Doing so helps take her mind off the pain of the present. She remembers being in Afghanistan and talking to her daughter, Rose, on the phone. Rose became angry when Davina said that she had to go to help a group of wounded soldiers who had been ambushed. The rescue journey was very dangerous, and Davina’s truck drove over an explosive device. Everyone inside died except Davina, who was tossed from the truck and fell into a coma. Davina was seated in the back because she had run back to retrieve a charm given to her by Rosalinda to represent Rose. Davina considers this the reason she was protected that day. Her injuries required 60 surgeries, and she spent months recovering in hospital. When she returned to consciousness, Davina found out that her husband had disappeared with their daughter. When Davina’s mind comes back to the present day, she feels like she has forgotten something important but isn’t sure what it is. She returns to the cabin and falls asleep in her bed.

Penelope and Hannah sneak out to take care of Davina’s cats and chickens and find that the woods seem more foreboding than before. When they reach the cabin, they’re happy to see Davina but confused about why she’s there. It becomes clear that Davina doesn’t remember being removed from her home. Hannah considers the possibility of telling someone, but Penelope asks her not to.

Hannah goes for a swim and then lies down on the grass. Rock arrives, explaining that he’s there to check on Davina. He starts skipping rocks on the river as he and Hannah talk about the situation. Hannah wonders if Rock wishes that her family never came. Rock says instead that he wished for someone like Hannah, but now he wonders if he “wished for something too hard” (142).

Leo wakes up feeling strange after sleeping on the porch with the colonel’s old shotgun. He sees a news helicopter above him, filming him as he goes back into the house. Inside, Marie is upset at Penelope and Hannah, who have just returned from Davina’s cabin. Hannah looks guilty, but Penelope is defiant, telling Marie that it’s wrong to make Davina leave. Hannah admits that Davina seemed like she didn’t remember the court hearing. Leo is certain that her memory lapse was caused by her PTSD.

Marie goes to talk to Davina, but when she gets to the cabin, Davina is surrounded by the 60 Minutes crew, giving an interview about her situation. Marie is shocked to see Davina smiling and believes that she was lying about forgetting the trial. Marie thinks that Davina made everything up in order to get an interview on television and take revenge on Marie for leaving her grandfather.

Hannah lies in bed thinking about what happened with Rock. As he taught her how to skip stones, chemistry lit up between them, and they kissed twice. It was Hannah’s first kiss, and this is her first experience of “love.” Hannah worries that Rock won’t want to see her anymore, as he has already quit working for Marie and Leo. Hannah looks out the window and sees Davina being taken away in a police car. She yells at her family that she is being arrested. Marie casually admits that she called the police, adding that she thinks Davina is trying to “destroy” the family. Hannah starts to second-guess Davina’s intentions.

Four days later, Brendon feels frustrated and scared for his family. On Father’s Day, he gets into an argument with his sisters that he instantly regrets. He agrees with his mother that Davina is trying to harm the family and decides to take the matter into his own hands.

Penelope paints Hannah’s nails on a seemingly ordinary day. Leo comes rushing in, yelling that Davina’s cabin is on fire. Hannah leaves Penelope and goes with her parents to help slow the flames until the firefighters arrive. They try to bat down the flames. Hannah becomes completely exhausted and dehydrated within minutes as Leo works to protect Hannah and Marie from getting burned. When the fire crew arrives, Hannah and her parents form a team and help carry water from the river to the cabin. When Hannah realizes that the cabin is going to burn down, she wants to cry, but there isn’t enough water in her body to produce tears.

Marie feels guilty about calling the police on Davina and has decided to drop the charges against her. The judge believes that Davina should stay in jail until the town can figure out where she will live. Marie comes home to tell her family and finds them at the cabin fire. She can’t believe what she’s seeing as the cabin she’s known since childhood burns to the ground. She thinks about Bee’s death and everything she has lost recently. When Marie sees that Leo has third-degree burns, she insists that he go to the hospital.