In Chapter 12, “Life and Death,” Martin recalls the experience of testing various communication software programs. The stakes for Martin were incredibly high because he was once again learning how to engage with the world. The weight of the decision, one that felt like a life and death conundrum, caused Martin some anxiety, but eventually when he was able to say hello on the computer to his sister Kim in her new home in England, the choice of software became secondary to the liberating exhilaration that came with his ability to speak.

Chapter 13, “My Mother,” delves into Martin’s relationships with his mother, Joan, and its complicated dynamics. The beginning of the chapter centers around the time his mother spent helping him master his new communication methods, which consisted of hours upon hours of practice, learning how to speak again, and reacquiring vocabulary from scratch. While Martin progresses rapidly, he also voices his frustration, as he writes, “I’m entirely dependent on her to suggest every word I want added to my new vocabulary” (60). The chapter then shifts to memories of the past, when his mother struggled with caring for Martin. Her pain caused countless arguments with Rodney, which just exacerbated her grief.