Summary
Highlights
Star is plagued by nightmares of Natasha and Khalil. She overhears her parents and Uncle Carlos debating the police investigation into Khalil's death, with stark disagreements on race, justice, and whether Star should speak to detectives, especially without a lawyer.
Star decides to speak to the police, swayed by Uncle Carlos's promise that it will help Khalil get justice and that the officer involved, 115, will not be present. She trusts Uncle Carlos’s promises more than anyone else's.
Star talks with her father while her mother is asleep. Her father shares his own experiences with loss, including his cousin Andre, and advises Star to tell the truth and not let the police manipulate her words. Star questions whether the police truly want justice for Khalil.
Star, her parents, and her brother Sakani visit Khalil's grandmother, Miss Rosalie. Star reminisces about her childhood memories with Khalil on the porch and acknowledges Miss Rosalie's past kindness to her mother.
Miss Tam, Miss Rosalie's daughter, shares updates on Miss Rosalie's health and the whereabouts of Khalil's mother, Miss Brenda. Miss Rosalie confirms that Khalil was selling drugs but expressed a desire to stop, inspired by Star's father.
Miss Rosalie expresses relief that Star was with Khalil in his final moments. Star's parents offer Miss Rosalie money to help with funeral expenses, and the community actively fundraises, emphasizing that Khalil mattered to them despite his past actions.
As they leave, Miss Rosalie gives Star a freeze cup, a symbol of their shared past. Star remembers Khalil's joyful goodbyes and reflects on the pain of saying goodbye to someone who is no longer there, imagining his presence.