Jodie drives Kya home to the marsh after the not-guilty verdict, reassuring her that time will help. Overwhelmed by the pull of home, Kya rushes through the shack and out to the beach to feed the gulls, insisting she never hated people—they hated and abandoned her. Exhausted, she refuses Jodie’s company, asking to face the aftermath alone.

Jodie stocks the shack and cooks a chicken pie, then leaves so Kya can return. Alone, Kya turns to her art, sketching storm-dark grasses, then breaks down, questioning her anger and her harshness toward Jodie. She walks the beach at dusk, gathers pelican feathers, and whispers a verse by Amanda Hamilton.

At dawn Kya embraces her routines, cooking breakfast and boating into the marsh, buoyed by the thought of collecting specimens and possibly seeing Tate. Nearby, Tate samples waters, staying close in hopes of meeting Kya or visiting her later.

A roaring airboat appears bearing Sheriff Jackson, his deputy, and another man. They pull alongside Tate, shout over the noise, and he surrenders, allowing the deputy to bring him aboard while the third man takes Tate’s skiff. From concealment, Kya watches in shock, fears it is about Chase’s death, and realizes how deeply she has relied on Tate’s presence. She speeds off toward Jumpin’, determined to learn what has happened.