After a long night on the floor of a ferry terminal with Maddy, Alex finds shelter, but custody issues and an unhappy client push her to the edge.

Cleaning Regina's gorgeous house on Thanksgiving, Alex imagines what it would be like to live in such luxury before taking the fantasy a step further.

Determined to send Maddy to a better preschool, Alex desperately searches for a new place to live, a process complicated by her government benefits.

Alex writes about her clients, including a couple living separate lives, as she juggles her tricky housing situation and Paula's fragile mental state.

Amid a crushing series of setbacks, Alex explores the possibility of college while dealing with Paula's health crisis and offering Regina a helping hand.