At sunrise, Tata and Capitan are fishing in the river. Tata speaks to the fish in his head, asking them to come to him to feed the hungry people of the village. Tata drifts off into a memory of a time when he worked as a laborer in Honduras. After a fiercely competitive soccer match, a war broke out between Honduras and El Salvador. Tata had to risk crossing the river during a dangerous flood season in order to escape the war. He thinks about the harrowing journey and how he eventually got himself to shore. When he comes out of his reverie, he hears his dog barking and turns to see Nicolás standing on the riverbank.

Nicolás and Tata sob in each other’s arms. Nicolás shows Tata his wound and explains that he doesn’t know if the Army or the guerrilleros shot him. He tells him that Alvarado cleaned his wound and helped him. Nicolás says he walked all night and when he stopped for a drink of water, he saw Tata. They make their way into El Retorno, where everyone celebrates his arrival. They want to hear all about his experience and comment on his newly filled out appearance.