The final part of the novel—the shortest by far—is also the final first-person narration from Harold to Willem. During this section, the reader finally realizes that Harold is communicating to Willem even though Willem is already dead. The two often commiserated about their inability to help Jude while Willem was alive, and Harold cannot break the habit even after Willem’s death.

Harold narrates a lovely vacation to Rome that he and Julia had with Jude. Although Jude acts pleasant and happy, Harold can feel him “receding.” He finds himself trying to get Jude to commit to long-term projects, like co-teaching a class or cooking lessons, so he can feel assured that Jude plans to be alive in the long term, but Jude never does so. One day, Jude says that Dr. Loehmann thinks it would be useful for him to tell Harold and Julia about his past, so he plans to try writing it down.

Approximately one year after his friends’ intervention that resulted in his forced hospital stay, Jude kills himself by injecting an artery with air and giving himself a stroke. Andy tells Harold that his death would have been painless, but Harold looks up this method and finds that Andy was trying to spare him; Jude’s death was very painful. He left letters for all his closest friends, along with an updated will. His letter to Harold is the promised story of his past, complete with an apology for “deceiving” Harold and Julia for not revealing it earlier. Harold feels horribly saddened at the thought that Jude died never understanding he and Julia would not feel tricked by this information and would never rescind their love, least of all because of Jude’s abuse-filled past; Harold believes himself a failure as a father for never having gotten through to Jude on this most important of subjects.

Before closing, Harold relates that many of Willem and Jude’s friend group have died tragically young; JB, who has a steady boyfriend and is in good health, is practically the only one left. While cleaning out his apartment with Julia one day, Harold finally finds the gift Jude left stuffed between two books on his adoption day—the recording of himself singing—and the accompanying letter. Harold closes the novel by telling Willem that in the last conversation he had with Jude, Jude told him the story of the time the boys locked themselves out of the Lispenard Street apartment and had to break in through the window. Jude smiled, enjoying the memory.