The family reaches Frank Doherty's dark house and goes inside with Ursula using his key. Bela immediately feels the house is strange, and Russ notices how familiar Ursula is with it; his remark that she seems like she was in love with Frank exposes his resentment and makes the tension between Bela's parents impossible to ignore. Ruth tries to keep everyone focused on sleep and safety, but the open closets, the fresh signs of Frank's life, and the fact that a man died there make the house feel wrong.

In the kitchen, Russ asks Bela whether Other Mommy is in the house. Pressed by the adults, Bela thinks through how she has sensed the entity before and realizes that sometimes she notices creaks, a smell, or simply a feeling of presence. Bela says she does not think Other Mommy is there, so the family chooses a small first-floor bedroom with an open closet, but Russ refuses to sleep and insists on keeping watch.

Bela sits with Russ on the couch while Ruth and Ursula talk in the bedroom. Russ, exhausted and emotional, praises Bela and tells her not to worry about the adults, but Bela can see that her parents' conflict is serious and begins fearing divorce. Bela then tells Russ that she thinks Other Mommy may have hurt Frank, connecting that fear to the message from Lois Anthony's house that Other Mommy had given Bela a 'present.'

Bela's suspicion pushes Russ into a direct confrontation with Ursula. In the bedroom, Russ argues that staying in Frank's house is unbearable, especially because of Ursula's connection to Frank, while Ruth keeps urging everyone to rest because they have nowhere better to go. As the argument escalates, Bela hears creaking overhead and becomes increasingly certain Other Mommy is present, but the adults are too consumed by their fight to listen when Bela first tries to warn them.

When Bela finally shouts that Other Mommy is in the house, the adults stop. Ruth reacts immediately, gets everyone moving, and rushes the family out to the car without looking back. As they drive away, Bela is left with a new fear: Other Mommy may target her because she is lonely, may keep giving her terrible 'presents,' and Bela might eventually say yes to letting Other Mommy into her heart in order to stop the damage.