The Rules of Magic

Vincent finds himself drafted into the birth-date lottery to fight in the Vietnam War. Frances, who has been protective of Vincent since his birth, when a nurse tried to kidnap him, enlists Haylin, a practicing doctor, to pull some strings to deem Vincent medically unfit.

When Frances visits Haylin, it turns out that he did not marry Emily after all and that he plans to become a Marine doctor in the war. She tells Haylin the truth about her family and the curse. They plan to outmaneuver it by meeting as lovers but not living together, marrying, or articulating their love.

Vincent tells Frances and Jet the truth of Regina’s paternity and says that if anything happens to him or April, he wants them to adopt her. Frances hands him a note from Haylin explaining that Vincent has asthma as a means of escaping Vietnam. However, when the MD examines Vincent, he pronounces his lungs “clear as a bell” (277). Vincent then tries to get out of it by saying he is gay and that he has psychiatric issues. As a result, he is interned at Pilgrim State Hospital. When Frances learns that Vincent will be there at least a month, she enlists the help of Haylin to get him out.