Alice tells Priya, Bianca, and Cillian that her job with Margaret collapsed and that her relationship with Hayden suffered as a result. The friends offer support, insist she ease her workload, and spend a comforting day and night with Alice and her mother, sharing chores, food, and laughter. In bed, Alice admits to Bianca that she wants to write a memoir about her parents and what they taught her, focusing on love rather than on Margaret.

After the friends depart, Alice and her mother begin a month-long routine of gardening, cooking, listening to her father’s favorite music, and reviewing photos and home movies while recording stories. Alice feels closer to her mother and recognizes it is not too late to know her. They video call with Audrey, and Alice continues light work for The Scratch, mostly remotely. She thinks often of Hayden but tries to keep her focus on family and the new project.

Five weeks later, while Alice is preparing dinner, Hayden appears at the door holding a letter. He reads aloud from the letter Alice had written to Margaret advocating for him and urging Margaret to tell the truth. Hayden reveals that Margaret sent him Alice’s letter along with her own explanation of what happened.

Hayden asks if Alice’s declaration of love is true. Alice affirms that she loves him, and Hayden reciprocates, saying he does not want to be without her and is willing to change his life to be together. Alice explains she plans to stay in Georgia to work on her memoir and to remain close to her mother, and she cannot leave.

Hayden responds that Atlanta is a good place for a music journalist, effectively committing to relocate to be near Alice. They kiss and reaffirm their feelings, with Hayden echoing the refrain that Alice is on his mind “all the time.”