Lila continues remembering her time in St. Louis. Throughout Missy’s pregnancy she waited and waited to enact her plan. Missy was beside herself that she couldn’t keep the child, but her alleged sister hadn’t gotten in touch with her to help her leave the brothel. Then one day, Lila ran into Missy and her sister downstairs. She hadn’t thought the sister even existed until then. The sister insisted she and Missy were leaving. They had found the trunk where the mistress kept their things, and told Lila she should take her valuables while she had the chance.

A devastated Lila reclaimed her knife, packed her bags, and headed out into the city unsure where to go next. She found a hotel and spent the days using her money to go to the movies. She decided to leave St. Louis when she ran into Mack in town one day and he pretended not to know her. Lila got on the train and headed for Tammany, ending up in Macedonia. She stayed at a mission church and opened up to a woman there about her life with Doll, the murder Doll committed, and her time in St. Louis.

Lila eventually ventured on and ended up in the cabin outside Gilead. She found herself wandering into the town during the day, passing the theater, and noticing the townspeople’s gardens.

In the present, Lila tells her unborn child about all these things and the time she has spent in Gilead thus far. She also tells the baby about the reverend and how much he loves her.

The next morning, Lila and John have breakfast together. Over their food, the reverend reads Lila something he wrote about life, freedom, God, sorrow, and happiness. At the end of the essay, he asserts that joy and sorrow are distinct and don’t have to negate each other. A subdued Lila assures him she knows what he means. The two then talk about John’s late wife and child. He admits that he still misses his past life, especially his child, but is appreciative of all the time Lila has spent at their grave. Lila continues musing on how strange her life has been while John goes upstairs to prepare for the day. She again thinks about Doll, Doane, the Ezekiel passage, and St. Louis.

Snow sets in around Christmas time. Everyone in town starts celebrating the season and visiting Lila the closer she comes to her due date. As the days pass, Lila becomes more and more concerned that something will happen to the baby and the preacher won’t be able to survive the heartbreak. She tries focusing on the holidays to assuage her worries.

Finally, the baby arrives. One night, she and the reverend are snowed in together when she feels an odd pain in her stomach. She insists she is fine, but the pain continues for some time. As she tries to settle herself, memories of Doll return once more. John meanwhile attends to her every need, making her comfortable, talking to her, and reassuring her when she admits that she is worried about becoming a mother. Lila drifts in and out of consciousness, thinking about her life and remembering who she is. She keeps worrying about the knife, too, however, and is unsure what to do with it. Finally, she tells John that she wants to get rid of it once and for all. She is sad to imagine letting it go but fears having it around, too. The couple snuggles in to each other, drifting in and out of sleeping and taking comfort in one another’s company.

Finally, the doctor and nurse come, along with a few other townspeople. They help to deliver the baby. Everyone exclaims at the healthy baby boy.

Over the following days and weeks, Lila settles into motherhood. She falls in love with her son, taking him on walks tucked inside her coat and talking to him. She knows that someday soon John will pass away and it will be just her and her son. She hopes he remembers his father. For now, she is thankful.

One morning, she and John sit together with the baby over breakfast. They talk about their lives and how much has changed. They admit how lonely they were and how much better off they are with each other. Lila also tells John she plans to keep Doll’s knife after all. She knows she gave birth to her son in “a world where a wind could rise” (260) and take him away, but chooses to focus on what she does have right now. She has so much she plans to tell her son when he’s ready.