Griff drives Ro and Della out to Bernie’s bungalow. There, he points out one of Warren’s small, carved faces on a wooden post. Della recognizes the carvings from the Hillary house but never knew that Warren made them. They follow a trail of the carvings around the bungalow, through the ivy cottage, and into the Hillary house. Ro and Griff realize that the path they’re taking to find the carvings perfectly matches the trail that Sam’s dusty footprints left on the day he disappeared.

Griff theorizes that after Damien mentioned the carvings during the interview, Sam came to the houses to see them. Finding evidence that Warren had also been a teenage troublemaker would have relieved Sam’s long-held guilt over their pranks.

Later, on the back verandah of the Hillary house, Griff and Ro finally discuss their grief. Griff admits that he felt ashamed that Ro appeared to be coping so much better when he could barely function, while Ro confesses that she coped by filling her days with busy, pointless activity. They apologize to each other, acknowledging that they grieved differently. Their reconciliation is interrupted when a tearful Della asks to go home.

At midnight, the anniversary of Sam’s disappearance and what would have been his 26th birthday begins. Ro decides to plant a packet of old sunflower seeds that Sam had saved as a child. She goes to her former vegetable patch behind the sheds, expecting to find it completely overgrown and neglected.

Instead, she discovers that Griff has secretly revitalized the entire garden. The old, barren plots have been filled with hardy native plants, and their wrought-iron wedding arch, which she thought was long gone, has been restored and covered in jasmine. Deeply moved by this quiet act of care and preservation, Ro goes to Griff’s bedroom. They have sex, physically and emotionally mending the rift that had separated them for years. Ro feels like she has reclaimed a part of herself that was lost in her grief.

The next morning, Ro and Griff wake up together. The family spends the afternoon following their annual ritual of baking the same chocolate cake that they have made on this day every year since Sam died. They place old, half-melted birthday candles on top and stand together watching the flames. As Ro stares at the flickering lights, a vague, unformed thought or memory comes to her, but it disappears before she can grasp it. Della proposes blowing out the candles, Griff counts, and together they lean forward and extinguish the flames. Ro makes the same silent wish she always makes. Having completed their private memorial, they wordlessly agree that it’s time to head to the public one.

The remaining residents of Carralon Ridge gather at the site where Sam was last seen for his memorial. Griff, Ro, and Della each speak, sharing memories and thanking the community for their support. As Griff concludes, Darcy unexpectedly asks to say something.

He begins by acknowledging his friendship with Sam but quickly shifts to criticizing the town’s fixation on its past, declaring that “[t]here’s no prize for being the last one out” (268). He credits Sam with inspiring him to see that a better life was possible outside of Carralon. Darcy then announces that he and Jacob are leaving the following month to move to Blenheim. Noel’s face is heavy as he stares at the ground, while Bernie fixes his gaze on his old house in the distance. Ro sees Heather give a small, subtle smile.

Della talks with Darcy and Jacob, who are eager to ask her about university courses. Bernie says, “Maybe Darcy has a point” (271), and questions whether Darcy and his brothers should have to live out the results of the older generation’s decisions. Sylvie announces that she’s opening the pub, and everyone except Ro and Griff eventually head into town.

Ro and Griff remain alone at the spot where Sam’s car was found five years earlier. As Ro kneels and sweeps her hands across the dusty ground, the fleeting thought from earlier returns, this time solidifying into a clear image. She immediately connects the image to the key they found on Warren’s porch. With sudden certainty, Ro stands up, knowing exactly which door the key will open.

In a flashback to eight years ago, Warren is on the phone with Sylvie, who is angry and crying. He tells her that he has finally decided to sell the family home, promising to call Lentzer the next day to accept the offer. He explains that he’s doing it for her and for their future together.

Before calling her, Warren had tried unsuccessfully to reach his brother Damien and his cousin Griff. During the tense call, he hears a strange noise nearby. After he hangs up, Warren is startled to see a figure standing on his verandah. The visitor informs him that the front door was “wide open.”

Now, Ro and Griff drive away from the memorial site. They see the lights of the pub and decide to leave Della there with her friends. They continue in silence until they arrive at their destination. While sitting in the dark, Ro feels a wave of doubt and says, “Maybe I’m wrong.” (282) Griff offers quiet encouragement, and they get out of the car to test her theory.

Five years ago, Sam is standing by his rental car at the track near the three abandoned houses. He has just finished exploring them, looking for the small, carved faces that Damien told him Warren used to make as a teenager. Seeing them has eased Sam’s guilt over the pranks that he and his friends once played. He spots Darcy’s drone high in the sky and thinks it must be close to the mine boundary—probably too close, knowing Darcy. As he’s about to leave, Sam sees a car he recognizes approaching. The vehicle slows and stops for him, and the driver calls out to him.

In the present, Ro and Griff stand before a door. With her hands shaking, Ro takes out the key they found at Warren’s house. Griff places his hand over hers to steady it, and together they insert the key into the lock. It fits perfectly and turns, unlocking the door. At that exact moment, the relentless grinding from the mine momentarily ceases, plunging the area into a pocket of deep silence. In that quiet, both Ro and Griff hear the distinct crunch of footsteps approaching them from behind.