Leaving Time

A few months after Thomas leaves Africa, Alice discovers she’s pregnant. The two have kept in touch since his departure. Alice debates how to break the news to him. She finds a pretext to visit the sanctuary in New Hampshire. During their long drive from the airport, she receives mixed signals about his feelings for her.

Thomas makes up the couch as a sleeping space and invites Alice to use the bed instead. They each secretly think this is the arrangement the other wants. Eventually, they sort things out and resume their romance.

In the days that follow, Alice learns everything about the elephants and caretakers at the sanctuary. At first, she thinks Grace is too fragile for the back-breaking labor needed to maintain the animals, but the young woman proves her wrong. Grace’s mother, Nevvie, seems strong and capable. She has no interest in life other than caring for elephants. Grace’s husband, Gideon, is massively built, but he exudes a gentle strength.

A new elephant is brought to the preserve, which causes some anxiety for the staff when she won’t step out of the truck. Another elephant befriends her and coaxes her to join the herd. It’s at this moment that Alice realizes the elephants at the sanctuary need her more than the ones in Africa. She decides to stay because she wants a forever home for herself and her unborn baby. Alice breaks the news to Thomas that he’s going to be a father.

Even though Jenna has fired Virgil, he continues to work the case. As he examines an evidence bag containing Nevvie’s clothing, he finds a fingernail stuck in the fabric of her shirt. If the nail is a match to Jenna’s DNA, this may confirm that Alice was somehow involved in Nevvie’s death. He also finds a receipt from a produce store where Nevvie went to pick up food for the elephants.

Virgil calls Serenity, and the two go to the produce store, hoping to get a lead on Gideon’s whereabouts. They talk to the owner. He tells them that Gideon went with the elephants when they were relocated to a sanctuary near Nashville. During the conversation, they learn that Grace died a month before her mother, Nevvie. She committed suicide by drowning herself in the Connecticut River.

Alice recalls the time period during which one of the elephants, Maura, is pregnant. Since Alice and Maura came to the sanctuary at about the same time, Alice feels a special connection to this animal. Nevvie and Alice disagree about the timing of the birth. Nevvie thinks of herself as the supreme authority on elephant behavior, an attitude Alice resents.

Despite Nevvie’s prediction that the calf won’t be born until after sunset on the full moon, the birthing process starts early. Alice is the only one there when it happens. The calf is stillborn, and Maura goes into a deep state of grief. She takes the body of the calf and lays it beneath her favorite oak tree, covering the corpse with branches and grass.

Maura stays beside the body, refusing food and water for days. Finally, Alice makes the risky decision to bring her a tank of water, even though the elephant threatens to charge. Alice remains nearby day and night to monitor Maura’s condition.

Seventy-two hours into her vigil, Alice is too exhausted to remain. Gideon and Nevvie bring her back home to rest. Alice finds Thomas intent on his research. When she tries to talk to him, he hurls a book at her. Thomas hasn’t had an episode of deep depression since his father died, but he’s beginning to show symptoms of unnerving behavior. His innumerable medications don’t seem to be helping. Alice starts to worry about Jenna’s safety, and her own.

When Alice awakens from a long sleep, she finds that Nevvie and Gideon are in the process of digging a hole to bury the dead calf. Maura is enraged. Alice intervenes and orders them to wait until the elephant is ready to let go. Thomas chastises Nevvie for taking matters into her own hands. He apologizes to Alice for his earlier violent behavior toward her.

Alice returns to watch Maura grieve a little while longer. Then the elephant walks away from the dead calf for good. Gideon finishes digging the grave and buries the body under the oak tree. Alice is overcome with grief because of all she’s witnessed. Gideon puts his arms around her to comfort her just as Grace walks up to bring them a jug of iced tea. Alice and Gideon jump apart guiltily even though nothing has happened. Alice recognizes that she is attracted to Gideon. 

Jenna decides to travel to Tennessee in search of Gideon. When her father slapped her after seeing the pebble necklace, Jenna began to piece together facts she didn’t know she knew. The girl is convinced that Gideon and her mother were having an affair. He may be the only person who really knows what happened to Alice.

Jenna slips away from home without telling her grandmother, Virgil, or Serenity. She finds it easy to hide aboard a Greyhound bus bound for Nashville because, “When you’re a kid, most people actively go out of their way to not notice you” (244).

During her journey, Jenna speculates about the various possible outcomes of meeting with Gideon. He might confirm that he ran away with her mother. Her mother might still be with him, and they would all have a tearful reunion. Alternatively, he might say that they did run away together, but Alice ended up leaving him the same way she left Jenna.

When Jenna reaches Nashville, she needs to find a way to get closer to her ultimate destination of Hohenwald, where the sanctuary is located. She hides in the back of a flatbed truck going in that direction. The only person who sees her sneaking onto the truck is a little boy. He promises not to tell if Jenna will give him a turn at hide-and-seek.