Tom remains at the Falks’ home. Christine’s due date is in one week; she is preparing for a natural childbirth, as Gilchrest expects of her. Despite not having had an ultrasound performed, both Christine and the Falks are certain that the baby is a boy who will fulfill Holy Wayne’s prophecy of a messiah. Tom is worried that Christine will give birth to a baby girl, and the baby will be seen as a disappointment. Christine invites Tom to return to Gilchrest’s home with her following the birth and his release from prison, but Tom declines, planning to return to Mapleton.

Two months after Valentine’s Day, Kevin sits on the porch with his morning coffee. No progress was made in the search for Julian’s killer, and the mood in Mapleton is returning to normal, as “eventually people got tired of brooding about it” (297). Aimee joins him. The two chat comfortably as close friends. Later that afternoon, Jill returns home from school after Aimee leaves for work. The two girls are “timing their arrivals and departures so that they never overlapped in the house unless one of them [is] sleeping” (307). Jill and Kevin talk about that day’s news of Holy Wayne Gilchrest, who pleaded guilty on all charges of sexual misconduct and will serve time in jail.