The Grandparents' Refusal

Social Services contacts Theo's paternal grandparents, Bob and Dorothy Decker, in Maryland. They inform Mrs. Barbour that they are unable to take Theo in, citing Dorothy's ill health. They offer to pay for him to stay at a Holiday Inn near their home, a proposal that shocks everyone. Theo feels a deep sense of shame and abandonment, realizing that his own family does not want him. Mrs. Barbour assures him he will stay with them for the time being, but the future remains uncertain.