Blair and her mother stop by the cottage in the midst of traveling around the convenience stores to make a to-do list. Blair tells her mother about the improvements that Declan suggested and that she wants to stay in Seabrook and help her mother with the convenience stores, work on her novel, and live in the cottage. Blair also tells her mother that things have changed with Declan, and she wants to see their relationship through. Blair reflects on the changes she’s made over this summer, and how the bad of Lottie’s death has brought significant good to her life.

Blair and her mother move Blair into the cottage after she calls EY and rejects the job. Blair prepares for the charity gala, and Declan picks her up and tells her that she’s beautiful. He drives her to the gala and warns her that there will be five courses of fancy food before speeches and dancing.

Blair sees Declan’s parents, Randall and Gwen, for the first time in years. Gwen gives a speech about Randall and his positive impact on the Seabrook community before the dancefloor opens. Blair and Declan dance, and Blair tells Declan that she plans to stay in Seabrook. Declan happily jumps at the chance to have a real relationship with Blair, though Blair still feels nervous about commitment. Declan makes Blair promise not to run away with no explanation again.

Declan runs into his physical therapist, and after meeting him, Blair goes to the dessert table. She runs into Declan’s mother Gwen, who expresses her condolences about Lottie’s death. Gwen shares that her mother died when she was Blair’s age, and when Gwen was grieving, she entered into relationships with people that she shouldn’t have, because she wasn’t emotionally stable enough for a meaningful relationship. Gwen’s words are pointed, clearly telling Blair that she’s too emotionally unstable for a relationship with Declan.

Blair feels overwhelmed and runs outside. Declan follows her, asking what’s wrong. Blair says she’s too much of a mess for Declan right now, and even though Declan disagrees and begs her to stay with him, she leaves.

Blair texts Faye and Roshi and asks them to come to Seabrook to see her, and they agree. Declan texts her and tells her that he had a wonderful time with her and reminds her that she can’t run from her grief. Blair tries to compose a text back, but she can’t think of what to say. She remembers how her mother shielded Blair from the pain she felt during the marriage to Blair’s father, and how Lottie shielded Blair from the specifics of her cancer. Blair thinks she’s protecting Declan from her grief.

Faye and Roshi arrive and see the cottage. Blair tells them what happened at the gala and about her feelings for Declan. Faye and Roshi help Blair realize that she wishes she could’ve been at Declan’s side in the aftermath of the accident, to be with him as he grieved. Faye and Roshi point out that Gwen manipulated Blair into thinking that her grief is too heavy, when in reality Declan wants to support Blair as she grieves. Blair remembers what Lottie used to say, “the fear part only comes when it’s love,” meaning that when one realizes they’re in love, they become afraid of the intensity of their feelings (288). Blair feels transformed by her feelings for Declan, and she knows their relationship would work, but she’s still afraid to let him see her grief because of her difficulty feeling and letting others see her emotions. Declan pushes Blair to feel her emotions and to pursue her dreams and being close to him has helped Blair return to herself. Blair never fell out of love with Declan; she’s loved him the entire time.

Faye and Roshi encourage Blair to put on a cute dress and knock on Declan’s door, even though it’s late at night. She does, but Declan doesn’t answer. Blair spends the rest of the weekend with Faye and Roshi. On their last night together, Blair promises she’ll be brave enough to tell Declan how she feels.

Blair drops Faye and Roshi off at the airport, and when she gets home, she finds a crumpled letter on her doorstep. Blair opens it and realizes it’s the old letter from Declan, and she reads it with tears in her eyes. The letter is how Declan described it: He apologizes to Blair for shutting her out after the accident, describing how he didn’t want Blair to see him in agonizing pain. He takes responsibility for his role in the big fight about the future and tells Blair that she’s perfect for him, ending the letter with, “I miss you, Little Bird. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, fly back to me” (298). Blair sobs after reading the letter and looks at the envelope and sees that it was stamped and correctly addressed, so she’s unclear why she never received it.

Blair goes to Declan’s house and brings the letter, and he tells her to sit with him. Declan explains that after the gala, he spoke to his mother Gwen about his relationship with Blair. Gwen confessed that she took the letter out of the mailbox so it never went to Blair. She had wanted to protect Declan from heartache and she assumed Blair would break Declan’s heart after witnessing Blair storm out of the house after her and Declan’s fight. Gwen apologized to Declan for the deception and said that her actions were driven by her grief after Declan’s accident. Gwen found the letter and gave it back to Declan, who left it on Blair’s doorstep.

Blair apologizes to Declan for running away at the gala, explaining that she worried her grief was too much until she realized how much she wished she could’ve supported Declan during his own time of struggle. She promises Declan that she wants to go through life with him, and Declan kisses her. They confess their love for each other, and Declan gives Blair a birdhouse he’s built just for her but explains there’s a secret inner compartment she can’t open yet, as it can only be opened by blunt force.

Blair asks Declan to fire her, and he does. He also confesses that he invented the overtime hours just for her, to help her support her mother. Blair tells Declan she’s almost finished her romance novel, but she can’t think of a last line. She asks Declan to recite the final line from his letter, and he does. They kiss again.

Blair self-publishes her novel, and Declan and his parents help her mother sell the convenience stores so she can retire. Declan takes Blair on a date at the secret beach, and when they arrive, Blair sees an arch made of her favorite flowers, hydrangeas, with Lottie’s favorite flowers, red roses, at the center.

Declan opens the secret compartment in Blair’s birdhouse and shows her the pebble inside. He reminds her that blue-footed boobies present their mates with a pebble as a sign of commitment, and he drops to one knee and proposes. Blair accepts, and Faye, Roshi, her mother, and Gwen rush towards them from where they were hiding to celebrate. Blair feels a twinge of grief that Lottie isn’t there, but she’s grateful that Lottie’s loss brought her back to Declan.