Part I: Fourth of July

Thus far, I have read through chapter eight. Ned and Jenny have started attending church on a regular basis, and Ned is trying to set up Father Michaels, a young priest at the church, and his mom. Things appeared to be taking a turn for the better for Jenny and Ned. Jenny and Father Michaels seemed very happy together, Sam had not made any unannounced appearances, and Ned was spending a lot of time at the church, helping out in any way he could. However, things took a turn for the worst when Father Michaels disappeared. Jenny got very depressed, lost her job, and stopped leaving the house. Ned befriended a neighbor two years older than him, and during that summer, Ned spent most of his time with the neighbor, Claude. When Claude’s family goes to the beach one weekend during a heat wave in October, Ned goes with them. At the beach Ned sees Sam watching him and ends up leaving with him. I hope the mystery of why and where Father Michaels went is answered soon, and I also hope Jenny manages to pull herself out of her funk.