By the spring of 1974, Natasha was starting to distance herself, feeling as though she were on “the periphery of [her] mother’s new life” (75). When she returned to Atlanta in August 1973, after spending the summer at her grandmother’s house, Gwen announced that she and Joel were married, and that Natasha was going to have a new little brother. Gwen and Joel had also moved to a new apartment, in which Natasha would have a bigger room. The family’s new apartment was in the same neighborhood, which allowed Natasha to remain at Venetian Hills Elementary.

Meanwhile, Natasha knew little about Joel, who explained away any of his idiosyncrasies by mentioning Vietnam. Natasha noticed that he was missing his second and third toes. Natasha thinks that he may have been born with malformed feet and was too ashamed to admit that, using the Vietnam War as an explanation. She also noticed “his slightly bulging eye,” trembling hands, and quivering lips (77). At night, she saw him sitting in the near dark, drinking, and singing into a microphone connected to the stereo. He sang along with a record as though to convince himself that there was an artist somewhere within him.