Flo’s letter to Ruthie continues with the story of a tan coffee cup from the Anytime Diner. When Terrence asked to buy the cup, the owner, George, simply gave it to him for free. The act of generosity inspired Flo to make a collection of preserved leaves and anonymously leave it on a stranger’s doorknob.

In the present, Flo fondly recalls a summer day when Terrence dared her to bark like a dog in the street for $10. Her neighbors, far from being alarmed, joined in, creating a moment of spontaneous, joyful community that Flo feels is missing in the modern world. 

Later, Teresa arrives, distressed after sitting with a seven-year-old boy as he died from a brain tumor. She describes the “holy moment” of his peaceful passing, and the account moves Flo. Concerned about Flo, Teresa urges her to maintain a positive will to live. Flo gently explains that at age 92, she is focused on living in the present, not worrying about how long she has. She then steers the conversation to Teresa’s upcoming dinner with Jim. Flo gives Teresa a bottle of rosewater bath solution, playfully promising that it will drive Jim wild.

Writing to Ruthie, Flo describes more items: a set of empty photo albums she preferred to imagine filling; an empty Mrs. Butterworth bottle and a honey bear container she and Terrence used as puppets to say things they otherwise couldn’t; and a pair of brass knuckles she keeps for comedic effect. She also points out Terrence’s accidental footprint in the concrete out back, a treasured memory that she now decorates with flowers.

In the present, Flo walks to Mildred’s home to meet Teresa and Mimi. Before leaving, she finds a paper bag hidden behind a book; it contains $60 in cash and a picture of a locket she once admired. She realizes that Terrence was secretly saving up the money to buy her the locket. She puts the money back with a note, instructing whoever finds it to use the money to purchase a surprise gift for someone else. She then pulls the book out slightly as a clue. At Mildred’s, Flo is pleased to see Teresa enjoying the company of Mildred and Mimi. They are discussing love at first sight, and Flo feels a quiet satisfaction in knowing that she has helped to create a new circle of friends for Teresa that will continue after Flo is gone.

From her porch at dusk, Flo writes that she is finally ready to tell Ruthie the story of what she buried in the backyard years ago. She recounts finding half of a torn dollar bill in Terrence’s unlocked jewelry box. Years later, a letter arrived from Paris containing the other half and a note that read, “For so many years I have waited for nothing. Au revoir” (167).

When Flo had confronted Terrence about this, he confessed the whole story. He explained that during the liberation of Paris in World War II, he had had a three-day affair with a French woman named Simone. Before leaving Paris to come home, he had torn a dollar bill in half as a symbol of their connection. He also admitted to Flo that he and Simone had a son together. Devastated, Flo nonetheless decided to forgive Terrance in order to honor the vow she made to God when Terrence was deployed: that if he survived the war and returned to her, she would let nothing separate them again. Now, in the letter, she uses this story to advise Ruthie not to end her own marriage over small, fixable problems. She urges Ruthie to practice forgiveness, which she calls “our holiest sacrament” (171). Feeling exhausted, she ends the day’s writing with a prayer that she will be able to wake up and finish the story.

With her eyesight failing, Flo struggles to write the final part of her letter. She reveals that after Terrence’s confession, she secretly wrote to Simone, asking for (and receiving) a photograph of their son, Jean-Claude. This letter began a secret correspondence between the two women, who developed an unlikely friendship as they shared details about their lives. When the letters eventually stopped, Flo buried them and the photograph in a rosewood music box near her roses.

She again counsels the “hot-headed” Ruthie to open her heart and work on her marriage. Flo then reflects on the things she will miss about the world, from flowers and music to the simple surprise of what each day brings. She expresses her love for Ruthie, acknowledging how much they have needed each other. She concludes the letter by wishing peace for everyone and hoping that her new friend Teresa will mail the letter for her.

The epilogue Ruthie’s reply to Teresa’s letter. Ruthie has learned of Flo’s death and now knows that Flo has left her house and its contents to her. Because she lives in California, Ruthie cannot manage the property herself and has hired a realtor, Sandy Bellman, to oversee the sale of the house and conduct an estate sale for the belongings. Ruthie requests that a few sentimental items be sent to her and also invites Teresa to take anything she likes.

A young, pregnant couple views the house and decides to buy it. The woman feels a connection to the home, insisting that they preserve a man’s footprint found in the concrete patio. After the sale, some of Flo’s remaining possessions are put out for free, with most of them ultimately being thrown away by the woman’s husband.

Before moving into her fiancé’s house, Teresa gives Flo’s letter to the woman who has moved into the house. After reading it, the woman is deeply moved and places the letter in her baby’s dresser for safekeeping, preserving Flo’s story for the next generation. At the end of the chapter, the footprint in the concrete is filled with rain, and birds are taking baths in the lasting impression that Terrence’s foot once made.