Describe how the children and the parents came to live in New York.

Lori leaves for New York City when she stops talking to her parents. Jeanette soon follows. When the girls receive news from Brian that conditions are deteriorating in Welch, Lori and Jeannette decide to move him up to New York as well. Soon after, Lori also petitions for Maureen to join them so that she can be better cared for. Jeannette applies and is accepted to Barnard College and the siblings begin to live a stable life as a family.