Where the Forest Meets the Stars

Gabe brings over cauliflower with cheese sauce. Ursa hates cauliflower. She has disliked every vegetable Jo and Gabe have served her. Jo encourages Gabe to relax outside by the fire while she prepares food for everyone.

While they eat, Jo says she read some of Katherine’s poems from her first volume, Creature Hush. Gabe has read that one but not the second one, titled Hope’s Ghost, because of its relation to the grave where he was likely conceived. They speak carefully, knowing Ursa is listening. Jo knows they won’t be able to hide their relationship from her.

Ursa finishes her plate, admitting that the cheese sauce made the cauliflower tolerable. Ursa asks if she can grab the marshmallows, but Jo asks her to take a seat. Jo confronts Ursa about the picture she drew of the grave. Ursa says the girl in the grave was her. She took her body from a dead girl. She wrote “I love you” because she loves the body she took. She wrote “I’m sorry” because she feels bad that the girl didn’t get to be buried. When Ursa goes inside, Jo and Gabe discuss her intelligence. Jo reveals she’s leaving in a month, so they’ll need to figure out what to do with Ursa before then.

Jo and Gabe kiss again. Jo asks if she can shave Gabe’s face since she never liked beards. Gabe is reluctant. He keeps his beard because his face resembles George Kinney’s, and it’s painful for him. Eventually, with Ursa’s enthusiasm, Gabe allows Jo to shave his face. She removes his shirt so that it doesn’t get wet and compliments his body. Gabe compliments hers back, but Jo brushes it off.

When she’s done shaving Gabe, Jo kisses him in front of Ursa. Ursa celebrates having made them fall in love, crediting her quarks for their relationship. She declares this her fourth miracle. Jo and Gabe read her a bedtime story, and Ursa promises not to run off that night.

Gabe comes over every night after that. Once Ursa falls asleep, Gabe and Jo sit on the porch and cuddle. They’ve given in to the fantasy life they’re living, not even discussing the police anymore. One night, Jo brings Hope’s Ghost outside. She finished reading it and wants to share some of the poems with Gabe. He’s reluctant, but she insists. She shares several poems that reveal Katherine’s love for Gabe and regret for the way her family is divided. By the time Jo finishes, she and Gabe are both crying.

Jo suggests that Katherine laments that Gabe grew to resent his biological father. Gabe argues that George wasn’t his father, but Jo rebuts that it sounds like Katherine, George, and Gabe’s father, Arthur, all loved Gabe as their own. Gabe says he turned into a jerk after he learned the truth, and his family assumed it was because of puberty or his mental health condition. Jo wonders if he still feels he’s ill. Gabe is so happy with Jo that he hasn’t felt ill in a while. Ever since Katherine found out about their relationship, she has encouraged Gabe to see Jo.

Jo thinks Katherine is a romantic, but Gabe has unresolved feelings about her betrayal of his father. Jo wonders if everyone knew, suggesting maybe Arthur was okay with the arrangement. Gabe hates this idea.

Jo invites Gabe inside. They sneak into Jo’s room, careful not to wake Ursa, and take turns removing each other’s clothes. Jo leaves her top on. Gabe wonders if she’s trying to show him sex so that he’ll forgive Katherine and George, but Jo asks him to not bring them into the bedroom. Gabe asks Jo to remove her shirt. She’s self-conscious at first, but Gabe shows that he loves her body the way it is. They embrace on her bed.

Jo, Gabe, and Ursa exist in their own world of bliss for a few more days before Tabby calls Jo to tell her that she needs to move her belongings from their old apartment together to their new rental home. Tabby has already moved into the new house, but Jo’s belongings are still at Tabby’s apartment. The apartment lease has one more month, and Tabby’s friends have offered to pay for the last month and live there. After work that day, Jo visits Gabe at the egg stand to ask if he’ll come to town with her and Ursa.

Gabe is uncertain about joining them. Jo can tell he’s upset by the idea of Jo leaving at the end of the summer. Gabe says he’ll think about it and promises to be over at eight for dinner, but he shows up late. After Ursa falls asleep, Gabe explains that he can’t go because he can’t leave his mother all day. Jo replies that she told him early in the day so that he could arrange for his mother’s care. She wants Gabe to join her so that he can meet Tabby. Jo also wants Gabe to consider how they can make their relationship work once she moves, since Gabe can’t leave his farm or his mother. They both agree that their relationship is something unique, and they don’t want to lose each other. Gabe goes home, saying he’ll call Lacey to make sure he can come tomorrow.

In the car, Gabe is mostly silent. Jo wants to see how he reacts to social situations. She worries if Gabe can’t handle it, she’ll have to break off their relationship. As they pass Effingham, Gabe remarks that his father used to take them to restaurants in the area. Ursa, who was working on a drawing for Tabby, has fallen asleep.

At the apartment, Tabby greets them warmly. The new tenants have stepped out to give them space to move Jo’s stuff. Tabby is happy to see Ursa, and the feeling is mutual, but she’s confused about Gabe’s presence. When she recalls Ursa’s drawing of Gabe, Ursa adds that she and Jo shaved Gabe’s face. Tabby is clearly upset that Jo didn’t tell her about the relationship. When Gabe uses the restroom, Jo quickly fills Tabby in, letting her know the relationship wasn’t on steady ground for a while.

They pack Jo’s things into the two vehicles and head to the rental home, where all four of them enjoy sandwiches. Once Jo’s things are moved in, Jo and Gabe go to Jo’s college campus so that she can turn in some paperwork. Ursa stays behind with Tabby, who has promised to paint Ursa’s nails.

Jo shows Gabe around campus. She asks him if he’s ever considered going back to school. Gabe becomes upset, thinking Jo has brought him here for that purpose. Jo just wants Gabe to fit into her world. Although Jo eventually wants to live in the woods, close to nature, she has several years left of her studies. Gabe wonders why they even got into the relationship. They joke that they had no control over Ursa’s quarks. Gabe says he was always attracted to Jo.

Jo leads Gabe into the biology building where she needs to turn in her paperwork. As they leave, someone calls Gabe’s name. George Kinney steps out of his office to greet them, surprised to see Gabe. Jo notes their striking resemblance.

George Kinney makes small talk with Jo and Gabe, but she does all the talking. Gabe suggests they get going, but George asks to speak to Gabe privately. He informs Gabe that his wife, Lynne, is gravely ill. Gabe seems reluctant. Before Gabe can escape, Jo tells him she’ll run to the bank and meet him outside when they’re done talking.

After the bank, Jo waits outside the building for an hour before Gabe emerges, seeming distressed. Jo asks about the conversation but doesn’t push it, allowing him space to open up on his own. They settle under a tree, and Gabe relays how the conversation went.

Gabe’s father, Arthur, knew Gabe was George’s biological son the entire time. Arthur was impotent, though Lacey was a rare exception. Arthur was happy to have a son, so everyone accepted the arrangement. While pregnant, Katherine sat down with both men to talk everything out, which Jo thinks is admirable. Arthur’s conditions were that Gabe be raised as his son and that Katherine and George never hook up on the Nash property. Katherine and George were in love for years, even before they married their respective spouses, but didn’t meet until after they were already in relationships, so they kept their longings to themselves until they began living next door to each other. George was unfulfilled in his relationship. Lynne struggled with alcohol addiction, which is why she’s dying. George asked Gabe for permission to marry Katherine when Lynne dies.

Jo feels the story is romantic. She can tell Katherine and George made sacrifices to avoid hurting their loved ones. Gabe is disgusted by the way they messed with other people’s lives for their love.

As they walk to Jo’s car, Gabe says he was thinking of Ursa’s quarks just as they encountered George. In addition, George told Gabe that he was thinking of him at the exact moment he walked by George’s office.

Although Ursa wants to get pizza at the “People Eater” restaurant with Tabby, Gabe isn’t in the mood to go out. He wants to go home. Ursa is upset that she can’t eat with Tabby again. Before Jo and Gabe leave, Tabby pulls Jo aside to express concerns about Ursa still being in Jo’s care. Jo explains that she’s considering becoming Ursa’s foster parent. Tabby reiterates that they aren’t allowed to have kids in the house and suggests that Jo talk to the therapist she saw after her mom’s death. Jo replies that the therapist once told her that survivors live and love more deeply than those who haven’t faced down death.

As they drive home, Ursa says she wants pizza. Gabe replies that he knows a good pizza place that his dad used to love. Ursa works on a drawing in the backseat, upset she can’t eat with Tabby at the other pizza restaurant. They stop at a restaurant in Effingham, which Jo notes looks a little rough. It’s near the gas station where Ursa was uncomfortable. Outside the restaurant, Ursa becomes obstinate and stubborn. She refuses to get out of the car. While Gabe goes inside to get a table, Jo convinces Ursa that eating here would mean a lot to Gabe, who just wants to connect with his father through the memories they shared. Ursa reluctantly agrees but seems distressed.

Inside, Ursa keeps her head down and draws. She doesn’t respond to the waitress. Her drawing depicts the Purple People Eater in the magic forest. He has long teeth and nails to keep him safe, but he doesn’t use them because the magic forest is a safe place. She stresses again that she didn’t want to come to this restaurant.

Gabe toasts to Katherine and George’s marriage. Being in the restaurant has lightened his mood, and he has accepted the idea of their being together. Ursa stares at a man at the bar. He’s on the phone. He stares back at her, then turns away. Later, he passes their table. He and Ursa lock eyes for an intense moment before he leaves. Jo asks if she knows the man, but Ursa replies that she’s looking at the horseshoe over the entrance.

Ursa seems withdrawn on the way home. Jo notes that a car is following them closely, but once she turns down their road, it speeds off. Gabe thinks it’s just someone who’s lost. Jo drops him off at his house, and they kiss goodbye.

Ursa wants to sleep with Jo, but Jo insists she sleep on the couch. Jo wants no questionable incidents that prevent her from becoming Ursa’s foster. She worries because Ursa has never been afraid of bedtime before.

At two o’ clock, Jo wakes to Little Bear barking outside. His barks become increasingly panicked. Jo gets up to calm him, hoping he won’t wake Ursa. However, Ursa is up and awake, looking terrified. Ursa tells Jo not to go outside because the bad men are there. They followed them from the restaurant. Little Bear’s yelps get closer to the house before gunshots ring out, and the dog goes silent. Ursa cries, knowing he’s been killed.

Jo doesn’t understand what’s going on but does her best to think quickly and manage the situation. She keeps Ursa quiet and turns off all the lights in the house, including the one outside the back door. Jo’s plan is to wait until they break into the house and then send Ursa out the back window of the empty bedroom. Ursa is to run to the trees under the cover of darkness and then head to Gabe’s house. Jo tries to connect her phone to emergency services but can’t get a signal. The men begin kicking down the doors, both front and back. The man at the back door shoots the lock and enters. Jo sends Ursa to the woods. When Jo climbs out the window, she hears Gabe’s truck pull up. He heard the gunshots.

Ursa breaks out of the safety of the woods to warn Gabe about the men with guns. Gabe brought his gun and begins firing to distract them. Ursa runs for Gabe’s truck but is shot down. Jo is shot in the calf but keeps running after Ursa. Gabe eventually takes out the two gunmen. Jo comes to Ursa’s side to find she’s been shot near her stomach. She and Gabe try to put pressure on her wounds. Jo begs Ursa to stay with her. Gabe tells them Lacey called the police and ambulances are coming. Jo cries. Ursa asks if Jo is crying because Jo loves her. Jo confirms that she does. Ursa declares this her final miracle and asks Jo not to be sad when she leaves. She says she’s returning to the stars. Jo tells Ursa not to go because she wants to adopt her. Ursa brightens for a moment but says she might have to go back to the stars. She closes her eyes. Jo cries until she loses consciousness too. She has lost a lot of blood. She thinks of flying to the stars to bring Ursa back.