This World We Live In

The family is startled when the doorbell rings: Miranda’s father has returned, along with his wife and baby. The baby’s name is Gabriel; it is not the Baby Rachel that Miranda dreamed of, but she is happy to see that he is healthy—and now, hopefully, safe. Traveling with them are three others: 18-year-old Alex Morales; his 14-year-old sister, Julie; and a middle-aged man named Charlie. They have become like family during their travels.

Dad and his wife, Lisa, relay the story of what happened. They never made it out west to discover if Lisa’s parents were still alive. Instead, they were shipped from one evacuation camp to another—thankfully, Lisa always received extra rations because she was pregnant—where they eventually met Charlie. Their descriptions of the camps “make it sound like a prison camp,” as Matt comments (92). After the birth of Gabriel, they decided to make their way back to Pennsylvania; on the way, they met Alex and Julie. Mom determines sleeping arrangements and offers everyone food.

The next day, Miranda overhears Mom and Matt having an argument while she is trying to hide her diaries in her room. Matt realizes that they do not have enough food to share with five other people and a baby; Mom will not turn them away—especially since Gabriel is a baby.