At work on a new ranch, Lupe and her family run into an old problem: The business refuses to pay men and women equally. Sophia calls a meeting and unites the workers, explaining that they have to view America as their home instead of a temporary stay. She leads a three-day strike that causes the owner to cave to their demands and agree to pay women and men equally. Suddenly, María’s first husband Esabel shows up, and she starts making love to him immediately. Her current husband, Andrés, has to shield their children from the open display of sexuality. The family tries to tame María, but she insists she is now “a woman with two husbands” (353).

Working in Santa Ana, Lupe and her siblings decide to take over the responsibility of working so her parents can retire. Lupe returns to the library and soon runs into Mark. He announces he has secured a good job for the upcoming summer, so he is hoping to push their engagement up. Lupe responds that she has not even said yes yet and that because she is busy supporting her parents, she can’t be busy getting married.