While Erik and the Murmurration take a practice sailing trip up and down the West Coast of the U.S. with Erik’s boyfriend Beau, Sarah must front and lead her system into the transphobic and ableist grips of her family’s reunion. She’s chosen to do this because she’s been told their grandmother is ailing, but she also feels the need to confront her mother over her manipulative behavior.

Nothing goes quite as planned.

Erik learns that he doesn’t quite have the personal tools and skills it takes to endure a lengthy sailing trip on a cramped boat, and the stress triggers one of his psychotic episodes and ultimately leads to a devastating meltdown that threatens his relationship with Beau.

And Sarah finds herself seemingly caught in a trap laid by her aunts and uncles, who are seeking to discredit her as a “mentally ill transgender pervert” and maybe find an excuse to call 911 on her.

They both have to walk their own tightropes before they learn to accept the help of their new headmates, the Ktletaccete and the Collective of the Cuttlecrabs. And in so doing, perhaps they each learn things about themselves and the people they call family that were there all along.