Lily and Geraldine meet up with Ellis at the rooming house. Geraldine asked the sanitorium to say she was dead to protect her privacy. She is well because Dr. Summers tested and treated her efficiently, and gave her a job. Since her husband died from lock jaw and the children left, her work gave her purpose. She sold the children to the Millstones because she was sick and scared; but she never spent the money and made Millstone promise to keep the children together. She now wants only to know her children are safe; she does not want them back. Ellis assures her they are. When Geraldine leaves, Lily insists they get her children back to her, reminding Ellis that the children were never really for sale.

Lily knows how much difference one person can make. She conveys how her father defended her decision not to give Samuel up for adoption after she became pregnant before senior year. After the birth, with adoption papers signed, when she changed her mind her father helped her to keep Samuel. Without his help the adoption agency would not have allowed it. Ellis now understands what she wants and why, and agrees that the Dillards will need their help to reunite.