Skyla reminds Naomi that Clive’s money has purchased all the gifts they’ve enjoyed and says Naomi ought to thank him when he arrives for Thanksgiving. Skyla didn’t go to the parent-teacher conferences because she and Clive were spending time together. Skyla returns three days later with the new bike Owen asked for. Gram was concerned that his lifestyle and limited funds would not be able to give Owen the medical care he needs. He works as a fisherman, a nomadic and dangerous job. Santiago sends money orders to her twice a year in envelopes without a return address. Skyla ran away, lived at Gram’s and threatened to take Santiago to court if he ever attempted to make contact with them. When the children were young and living in Mexico with their father, Santiago, their parents argued a lot. Gram thought Skyla was pulling her life back together to reconnect with the children. Naomi confronts Gram with this information. Naomi learns that her mother has been a struggling alcoholic for years and that her father wanted custody of the children when they were younger, but was persuaded to let them go. Eventually Gram is called to take them home. Naomi and Owen sit on the school steps waiting for Skyla, but she doesn’t arrive. Naomi and Owen dress their best for the conferences, although Owen still covers his shirt and tie with tape. When Skyla notices the parent-teacher conferences on the calendar, Gram suggests she go in Gram’s place. Skyla showers Naomi with clothing and presents, but doesn’t bring anything for Owen.
Fabiola and Bernardo are from the same region in Mexico as the children’s father, and so have a special fondness for the kids. After Skyla leaves for the evening, Gram and the kids walk over to their neighbor Fabiola’s house to discuss the situation with her and her husband, Bernardo. Skyla tries to remove the tape from Owen’s shirt, but Naomi and Gram explain that he likes it there. While he’s working, she wants to reconnect with her children. She is in town with her boyfriend, Clive, so he can train as a tattoo artist. The children’s mother has changed her name to Skyla. Owen and Naomi are excited, but Gram is wary. The little family hasn’t heard anything from her in seven years, when she left Owen and Naomi in Gram’s care. One night without warning, Naomi and Owen’s mother appears at the door.
Owen always keeps a piece of tape on his shirt because it makes him feel safe. One leg is shorter than the other, his head is always tilted, and his voice is perpetually raspy. While Owen excels in many of his classes, he is physically challenged. She lives in a trailer park in Lemon Tree, California, with her spry and attentive great-grandmother, Gram, and her brother, Owen. Naomi Soledad León Outlaw has a hard time speaking up, especially when the boys in her class tease her for her long name.
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