At the zoo, Bela reflects on what her teacher Mr. Jeffery said about places meaning more than they seem. She realizes the zoo is one of those places for Mommy and Daddo, because they use visits there to have private, serious talks. In the reptile house, Bela watches them whisper and argue while pretending everything is normal, and Bela keeps trying to redirect the family toward the butterflies.

As the family moves from the reptiles to the penguins, Bela notices that Mommy and Daddo remain tense and distracted. Daddo tries to soothe Bela with jokes and a piggyback ride, but Bela can tell the jokes are forced and the fighting continues. Bela also remembers contradictions in what Mommy said about the night at Marsha’s house, which deepens Bela’s unease about the adults’ honesty and the instability at home.

Near the lions, the family runs into Lois Anthony from the previous night’s party. Lois mentions a Friday group that meets to discuss occult subjects, and Mommy reacts sharply, especially when Daddo admits he finds Lois and her interests intriguing. Their disagreement escalates as they enter the butterfly house, with Mommy mocking Lois’s beliefs and Daddo defending them as harmless curiosity, until Mommy sends Bela ahead to look around alone.

Inside the butterfly house, Bela is briefly enchanted by the butterflies and speaks to them about her parents fighting. Then Bela notices what seems to be a blue eye hidden among the leaves, which makes Bela think of Other Mommy, the playground, and Marsha’s scream. Terrified, Bela runs back, shouting that Other Mommy could be anywhere, and bursts out through the doors. Outside, Daddo recognizes that Bela is genuinely frightened, but Mommy, overwhelmed and furious, blames people like Lois Anthony for what is happening and declares that whatever this is must stop immediately.