In April, Demon comes home to find Dori dead from an overdose. Numb, he cleans her body and the house, hides paraphernalia, and then turns Dori’s phone over to EMTs so they can contact next of kin. He has already erased some numbers, but no one looks for explanations; it is another Lee County OD.

Rumors cast Demon as an intruder. At the funeral, Aunt Fred does everything her way, barely acknowledging Demon and implying Dori had many men. The service is generic; Dori is buried beside Vester and her mother. Attendance is sparse, mostly caregivers and a few former classmates. Angus arrives unexpectedly, guiding Demon through the day.

While waiting at the mountainside gravesite—delayed because Aunt Fred and her daughter get lost—Demon and Angus step away. Demon finally breaks down, and Angus explains she and Coach faced the school board; suspension may come after the fall season. She plans to sell or rent their house, move to Norton for school, get Coach to AA, and give him one year to get sober. She insists they’re still family, but Demon feels detached and homeless.

After the burial, Demon rushes to remove his belongings as Aunt Fred and her daughter descend in gloves and trash bags, clearing the house with no sentiment, planning to haul everything to the dump. Demon sleeps in the Impala between trips and watches their black-bag mountain grow. He discovers Jip, also dead, and later buries the small dog behind the shed—the only farewell left to him—before leaving the stripped‑out life behind.