Jane adores playing the part of Rainbow in her production, and she basks in the audience’s applause. After the performance, she watches the rest of the cast celebrate, rejoicing that “all this was the result of her imagination come to life” (247). Skye tells her that her acting was wonderful and then tries to hurry Jane out of the school. The more people congratulate them, the more the two sisters feel ashamed of their deception. Skye intends to confess to their father that she didn’t write the play, but not reveal the true author. However, Jane refuses to let her sister take all the blame.

Back at home, Skye and Jane tell the whole Penderwick family the truth about the play. Martin is disappointed in his daughters but commends their courage in coming clean. He asks them for ideas about how they can make things right. Skye offers to tell her teacher the truth, do chores, and write a new play. Jane promises to help Skye with her chores, write a new science essay, and tell her teacher what she did. Although the prospect of facing her teacher scares her, Jane tries to draw courage from the examples of the heroines she’s created. Martin and Rosalind admit that they should have been paying more attention because Skye would never have written a play with such a strong focus on love. The four sisters cheer themselves up by dramatically reenacting some of their favorite moments from the play.

Skye and Jane’s honesty inspires Martin to make a confession of his own. He tells his daughters that Lizzy entreated him not to be single forever before she died, but he couldn’t bear to consider the idea of dating until he read her loving letter years later. When he describes how awful his first two dates were, Rosalind confesses that setting him up with Anna’s skating coach was her idea. Martin compliments her highly effective strategy and assigns her some chores. He reads a few passages from Sense and Sensibility, revealing that Marianne Dashwood is a fictional character from the book. He explains that he panicked when Aunt Claire suggested a third date and that he’s been reading Austen’s novel in his office at the university during his alleged dates. He apologizes for lying to his daughters and promises to tell Aunt Claire the truth as well. He isn’t sure he’ll ever date again, and he insists that he will be the one to decide when he’s ready if that time comes. His daughters promise not to interfere, and Martin vows that he’ll never choose someone they dislike. A relieved Rosalind bursts into tears, and all his daughters forgive him for lying.

Rosalind struggles to fall asleep that night because she’s still thinking about everything Martin said. The next morning, her sisters wake her up in succession. First, Batty informs her that she’s going to Iantha and Ben’s house. Then Jane tells her that she’s starting a new Sabrina Starr book in which the titular heroine meets Rainbow’s ghost, allowing her to apply all of her research on the Aztecs. Next, Skye stomps into her room, bemoaning the fact that a boy in her class named Pearson now likes her because he loved the play. Skye also informs her that they’ll be babysitting Ben the following night so that Iantha can attend the university’s gala.

Hours later, Aunt Claire awakens Rosalind with a gentle knock on her door. The girl is overjoyed to see her aunt and apologizes for being distant and grumpy. When Rosalind asks Aunt Claire if her mother would be upset about the girl’s Save-Daddy Plan and Martin’s deception, the woman answers that Lizzy would “be laughing herself into fits” (267).

That afternoon, Skye and Jane’s soccer team plays a rematch with their rivals for the title of league champion. Neither team scores until late in the second half, when Jane distracts the opposing team so that Skye can make a goal. After Antonio’s Pizza claims victory over Cameron Hardware, Melissa bursts into tears and admits that she’s been mean to Skye because she’s jealous of her. Skye comforts her rival with a hug and assures her that she has no interest in Pearson, who is Melissa’s crush.

Watching Martin and Iantha laugh together after the game, Rosalind realizes that her father likes their neighbor. She asks for her mother’s guidance and then calls an Emergency MOPS. Rosalind tells her sisters that she was wrong to try to stop their father from dating, and they all agree that Iantha would be perfect for him, something Batty already noted at the previous meeting. To implement their “new and improved Save-Daddy Plan” (276), the sisters scheme to get the two adults to attend the university’s gala together.

Skye removes the battery from Martin’s car while Jane distracts him, Rosalind distracts Iantha, and Batty acts as lookout. When Iantha comes over to see what’s wrong, Martin is rendered speechless by the sight of Iantha in her evening gown. With a little gentle prompting from Batty, Iantha readily agrees to drive Martin to the gala.

The Penderwick sisters babysit Ben while the grown-ups are away. The toddler can’t sleep without his favorite stuffed animal, so Rosalind goes across the street to retrieve it. While she’s on her way to the Aaronsons’ house, Tommy sees her and tells her that he broke up with Trilby. He claims that he didn’t dump his girlfriend because of Rosalind, and Rosalind claims that she didn’t miss him, so they both leave the conversation dissatisfied.

As Rosalind approaches the Aaronsons’ front door, a man exits with Iantha’s laptop. She tries to stop him, but he shoves past her. Tommy tackles the man to the ground, and Rosalind admits that she missed the boy very much. Tommy asks if they could date when they’re older, and she suggests that 13 seems old enough. Skye, Jane, Batty, Ben, and Hound join Rosalind and Tommy. Batty identifies the thief as the Bug Man, and he says that his name is Norman Birnbaum. Norman accuses Iantha of stealing his work and claims that the computer offers proof. The sisters advise him not to speak ill of Iantha because she is “a Potential Penderwick” (297). Reluctantly, the children decide to call Martin and Iantha and tell them what’s happened.

Hours later, Martin assures Rosalind that Norman is in police custody and that he seems delusional rather than dangerous. Rosalind tells her father that she and Tommy plan to date when they’re older, and he congratulates her. Martin recalls how he promised Lizzy that he wouldn’t place too much responsibility on their eldest daughter after her death, and he apologizes for not keeping that promise. Rosalind asks how his evening with Iantha went. Baffled, Martin asks if his daughters would mind if he dated their neighbor. Rosalind hugs him tight and declares, “We’ll think it’s wonderful!” (302).

The narrative moves forward seven months to the day of Martin and Iantha’s wedding. The ceremony will be held in Iantha’s backyard, and the Penderwicks are putting the finishing touches on the preparations. Martin’s four daughters are the bridesmaids, and Tommy, Jeffrey, and Ben are the groomsmen. The girls are overjoyed to see their father filled with “pure and solid happiness” (303), and they are all “absolutely, positively, indisputably, and without a shadow of a doubt” ready to welcome Iantha and Ben into their family (303).