Life As We Knew It

On July 14, Miranda mistakenly lets the family cat, Horton, out and he does not return at his usual time. Because the sky is gray all the time now, it is hard to know whether it is morning or night. Horton usually goes out during the daytime, but must have gotten confused. Miranda’s mother says that any of them could have made the mistake, but Miranda knows it is her fault. She writes that she is always careless, but usually her carelessness only affects her, not someone else. On July 16, Miranda has another fight with her mother. She is still upset about the cat, which infuriates her mother, as they have not heard from Jonny in two weeks. Miranda says that Jonny is fine, eating two meals a day while they exist on starvation diets. She accuses her mother of betting on Jonny to survive, rather than her. Miranda knows that her mother will forego food for them, and that Matt will not take food if it means the rest of them can survive She recognizes that, as a woman, she is might be considered too weak to survive, which only leaves Jonny. Though Miranda hates thinking like this, she knows that her mom is concerned about the possibility of starvation. After three days in which Horton has still not returned, Matt tells Miranda that he could have been caught and eaten by someone, which is a possibility she has not even considered. Miranda feels that she does not deserve to live because she does nothing to help the family get by.

On July 21, Sammi arrives at the house to tell Miranda that she is leaving town. She has met a guy, a forty-year-old man who has been giving food to her family. Her parents approve of the man, George, and though they want him to stay, think that he can help Sammi find a better life somewhere else. Miranda is upset that Sammi does not even ask about her or her family. She comes and tells Miranda about her departure, and then just leaves. On July 22, Horton reappears at the kitchen door, to everyone’s surprise. The family also hears from Jonny, and Miranda’s mother is finally able to relax a bit. They celebrate by having dinner with Mrs. Nesbitt. Miranda says that after the day’s events, she feels much better about things, and believes that they can make it through if they “love each other and work hard enough” (137).

On July 27, Miranda finds out that she will not be able to visit her father in Springfield after all. She has been planning for the trip, and hoped that the time in Springfield would mark a period of improvement, a return to normality. However, Lisa is worried about her family, so she and Miranda’s father are closing their home and heading out to visit their families. Miranda is disappointed and sad because she knows that if she and Jonny had been in Springfield, the food supply would have lasted longer for her mother and Matt. Her father, Lisa and Jonny arrive at the house on July 30, and bring a minivan full of provisions. Miranda’s mother is overjoyed at the sight of the food and supplies, and then gives Lisa the baby clothing she had purchased previously. Lisa cries over the gifts, and thanks everyone.

On August 1, the family decides to have a dinner party, and sends Miranda to tell Peter and Mrs. Nesbitt, who are both excited at the chance to socialize. When she is leaving the hospital, Miranda runs into Dan. She has not seen him in a while, and is shocked to find him in the hospital. As it turns out, his mother has contracted West Nile and has been in the hospital for some time. His family was actually planning to leave and meet their daughter in California, but they found her name on the list of the dead. His mother was distraught by the news, and Dan agreed to go and confirm that she is really dead. His father even traded their car in for a motorcycle so he could make the journey. Dan says he will try to write to her, and that if he ever returns, they can go on a date to the prom. Miranda knows that losing someone is terrible, and that she has not been affected by death like everyone else, but she wonders if the drudgery of existing as they are isn’t just as bad.

On August 2, Miranda’s family throws their dinner party and everyone is in good spirits. Peter even brings some wine. Miranda is happy to see how well everyone gets along. After dinner, however, Jonny asks if they are all going to die, which kills the mood. Lisa excuses herself and goes to her room, crying. Miranda’s father apologizes, and goes after her. Everyone else tries to answer Jonny’s question. Though Miranda’s father returns to the party, Lisa never does. Miranda’s father announces that he and Lisa will leave the next day. He then has a talk with Miranda in which he thanks her for helping out around the house and tells her how beautiful she is. They both agree that everything will be alright for them and her father’s new baby. On August 4, Miranda’s father and Lisa leave.