Seeing Red

Three months after Mitch leaves Odyssey for FBI training, Connie studies one of his rare letters and finds reasons to worry in every sentence. He has written carelessly, talked about the weather, and failed to say that he misses her. Jack and Joanne think she is reading too much into an ordinary letter, but Connie is convinced that distance is making Mitch lose interest in her.

Joanne then receives terrible news: a church she helped begin in Sri Lanka has burned down, and the missions board cannot provide rebuilding money quickly. She remembers an old compass in the antique shop that may date from the eighteenth century. If it is valuable, selling it could provide much of what the church needs.

At school, Liz discovers that Mandy has developed her first crush on Seth Young, a boy from church. Seth is kind, serious about sharing his faith, and preparing for a youth evangelism seminar. When he asks Liz to be his practice partner, she nearly tells him about Mandy but accepts his invitation instead.

Mandy comes to the seminar hoping Seth will choose her and is hurt to learn that Liz has already become his partner. Liz claims she had to decide quickly and then wounds Mandy further by saying that Seth did not even remember Mandy's name. Mandy accuses Liz of wanting Seth for herself and walks away angry.

Joanne contacts the Smithsonian, which is willing to examine the compass, but she will have to take it to Washington. Jack thinks the long trip is too expensive and uncertain, especially when he could offer the compass at an auction later. Joanne argues that the church needs help now and accuses Jack of always playing safe. Their disagreement turns personal when she brings up an old occasion when his judgment about an antique had been wrong.

Connie's fears about Mitch also erupt into an argument. His plain new answering-machine greeting seems like proof that the man she loves is changing, and when he says he has been too busy to write, she resents that he still has time to watch television. After their telephone fight, she declares that Mitch must be the one to call and apologize. Liz hears Connie's determination and applies the same stubborn rule to Mandy.

At the seminar, Mandy intrudes on Seth and Liz's practice exercise until the girls openly ask which of them he likes better. Seth is dismayed that they are treating an evangelism class like a contest for a boyfriend. He says he is interested in neither of them and finds another partner. Liz and Mandy still blame each other, and Mandy declares that she will find another friend as well.

After praying about her own quarrel, Joanne decides not to wait for Jack to apologize first. In front of Connie, she admits that she spoke angrily and unfairly brought up the past. Jack immediately admits his own selfishness, gives her a dependable new phone for the journey, and encourages her to go to Washington. Joanne explains to the surprised Connie that she apologized because she loves her husband, not because she expected to win the argument.

Liz brings a box of Mandy's belongings to Whit's End and asks Connie to return it for her. As they look through the keepsakes, including a fair photograph and a necklace Mandy made, Liz clearly feels the loss of their friendship. Yet she still insists that Mandy must apologize first, even if their friendship ends while she waits.

Connie recognizes the same pride in her own behavior. When Joanne looks for a traveling companion, Connie volunteers to join her so she can surprise Mitch in Washington and apologize face to face. She has learned that restoring a loving relationship matters more than winning an argument, even though Liz and Mandy have not yet learned the same lesson.