Ollie and Luna fall asleep. Sophie tells PJ that she can no longer be responsible for him. She did it to help her mom, who couldn’t manage her own grief alongside the burden of caring for her husband. PJ apologizes and tells Sophie he never expected her to care for him and that she can let it go. Sophie says she can forgive him only if he promises to stay sober and adequately care for the children. She will help him, but he must find a way to live independently of her, Ivy, and Fred’s support. She says, “Kate’s death was not the end of things […]” (324) and encourages him to use this opportunity with the kids as a way to move on. PJ doesn’t know how he’ll do it, but he loves Sophie and promises to try.

Sophie looks at the sleeping children and wonders if they will be okay after all they’ve endured. PJ says they will because “Kids are resilient” (324). Sophie says this thinking is wrong and asserts that kids can’t simply bounce back from trauma and that instead they internalize it. Adults must help them “learn resilience” by creating safe spaces for them to heal. Sophie says it’s her and PJ’s job to provide this for Ollie and Luna.

“Day 6: Sunday”

They arrive in Arizona at the Tender Hearts Retirement Community, and PJ has a moment of doubt, wondering if Michelle will reject him. He changes clothes and tries to make himself look presentable. When he asks the front desk attendant where they can find Michelle Cobb, the attendant directs them to the funeral in the chapel; at first, they think Michelle has died. Ollie begins sobbing. Then PJ spots Michelle entering the chapel behind the casket and thinks it’s Gene’s funeral. Michelle is surprised to see PJ, but thanks him for coming. It’s her father Ed’s funeral. PJ and the children sit in the back of the chapel, and Ollie continues to cry. A lady who looks just like PJ’s mom turns around and gives the children lollipops to quiet them. PJ wonders if he’s imagining things since he’s sleep-deprived. The priest recognizes him, having traveled all the way from Pondville to honor Ed, and asks him to stand. When PJ returns to his seat, the woman who gave them the lollipops is gone.

After the service, they attend a reception where PJ searches for the woman who resembles his mother. Pancakes jumps into PJ’s lap. PJ tells Michelle that she is “the one that got away” (339) and that he’s there to propose to her. Michelle tells PJ they can’t get married because of the identity of his father. In high school, when Michelle fell for both Gene and PJ, her mother told her she could never date PJ because he is her half-brother. Michelle’s father, Ed, had an affair with PJ’s mom, Regina, which resulted in PJ’s conception. All the stories Regina told PJ about traveling the country were lies. In truth, she left her son with her abusive husband and hid out in an apartment over the local barbershop near Ed’s pie bakery. Regina worked in the barbershop and helped Ed in the bakery after hours. The news that the stories his mom had told him aren’t true is shocking to PJ, but he remembers that he tends to stretch the truth in his stories, too. Sophie reminds him, “You always said it doesn’t matter if the stories are true. It matters if you believe them” (345).

“The Next Two Weeks”

PJ, Sophie, and the children stay in Ed’s condo. Sophie won’t be able to stay indefinitely because the retirement community has age rules and is only willing to make an exception for minors. PJ alerts Belinda that he took the kids out of school to attend his father’s funeral. The family enjoys two weeks together using the pool and getting to know the residents of Tender Hearts. PJ remains sober by attending regular AA meetings held at the retirement center. When the 15th anniversary of Kate’s death arrives, he faces it soberly for the first time with support from his new AA friends. Michelle is wealthy as Gene left her a fortune from his shoe business, and she tells PJ not to worry about money. The paternity results come back confirming that Mark Stackpole is Luna’s biological father. She no longer cares that he doesn’t want her because she has all the family she needs in Ollie, Uncle PJ, Aunt Michelle, and Sophie. Pancakes befriends a lady named Eugenia Daly, who dies soon after.

Fred calls Sophie and asks to speak to PJ. He delivers bad news. They lied to him about going to Alaska. Ivy’s cancer returned in her brain, and they have been in Minnesota at the Mayo Clinic for experimental treatment. Ivy’s disease is too advanced, and her time is short. Fred asks PJ to fly home immediately so they can have the wedding before she dies.

Sophie has known all along about her mother’s condition. She braces for PJ to be upset about them all hiding the truth from him, but instead, he comforts Sophie, telling her that she is “brave” for dealing with him, Ollie, and Luna while also carrying the burden of Ivy’s prognosis. Sophie is grateful for her father’s empathy. PJ always thought he would die first. He hopes Ivy is proud of him for his sobriety. The cat watches Sophie and PJ, listening to their musings on the injustice of death. The cat knows that death is miraculous because the shortness of life makes people and relationships more valuable.

PJ enjoys the flight home and declares that he no longer hates flying. They drive past his house, which his friends are cleaning up in preparation for his return. Everyone in town knows about PJ’s generosity in adopting Ollie and Luna. When they get to Fred and Ivy’s house, Pancakes runs straight to where Ivy is lying in bed. The cat thinks, “Here you are […] I’ve been looking everywhere for you” (363).