Louise returns to the hospital and tells Mark that Pupkin is gone. He is angry at her for cutting off his arm, and she reminds him that he was trying to kill her with a hammer. Over the next several days, he barely speaks to her, and Louise does everything she can for him, feeling incredibly guilty.

One day, Mercy and Constance come over and sit outside with Mark and Louise. When Mark goes back inside, Mercy asks Louise what really happened to them, but Louise won’t tell. She tells Mercy that they are going to hold off on selling for a while.

Louise feels like when she leaves Charleston, her relationship with Mark will eventually dissolve. When she flies out, he doesn’t even come to the airport to see her off. She is proud of how she handled the situation the way her father might have done and can’t wait to see Poppy. She has decided not to tell Poppy and Ian about Mark’s arm. At home, she rushes past Ian to Poppy’s bedroom. When she opens the door, Pupkin waves to her from the end of Poppy’s arm.