This Is How It Always Is: Part II: Everyone Who? Summary & Analysis

Rosie keeps in contact with Mr. Tongo back in Wisconsin, and he doesn’t think that Poppy’s gender is really anyone’s business: Rosie doesn’t talk about her other kids’ penises, so she shouldn’t talk about Poppy’s. Friends can be close without ever talking about their genitals, Mr. Tongo says. Rosie agrees, but Poppy is different, she says. She has to tell Poppy’s teacher and the school nurse. And she has to tell Poppy’s friends’ parents. “Why?” Mr. Tongo asks. Poppy’s penis doesn’t make any difference to the teacher, and the nurse won’t be doing anything in which she will need to know. Rosie doesn’t asks for Poppy’s friends’ medical history, so she shouldn’t be giving out Poppy’s.

Soon after, Rosie comes home from work and finds Penn has taken all the pictures from the walls. She misses Claude, Rosie says. She’s upstairs with Aggie, Penn says, although he knows what Rosie means. Roo walks in and looks around. He thought the whole point of coming to Seattle was because everyone is so “gay,” Roo says. Rosie is confused. “Tolerant,” he says, “Open-minded. Rainbow flaggy. Whatever.” She “ruined their lives” to come here, Roo says, and they can’t even hang their pictures.