Before returning north, Dominic and Rowan inspect the seed vault. They find the temperature holding at minus ten, but the tunnel water has begun seeping under the door seal, and the concrete damage Rowan previously identified has spread badly.

Because the boat is still four weeks away, Rowan concludes the vault is unlikely to last that long without repairs. When Dominic reminds Rowan that the vault is supposedly not her responsibility, Rowan responds sharply that no one else is treating the danger seriously, so she will take charge. Rowan says Rowan will need tools and another laborer, turning concern into a concrete plan.

On the walk home across Shearwater, Dominic keeps thinking about what Rowan said earlier in the field hut. Dominic realizes Rowan has seen that Dominic is emotionally divided, and that recognition unsettles Dominic more than the fact itself.

Dominic examines the explanations Dominic has been using to avoid fully committing to Rowan: Hank, Dominic's children, and Rowan's refusal to want children. Dominic begins to suspect these have been excuses rather than insurmountable barriers, and asks whether, without them, Dominic would be able to love Rowan completely.

By the end of the walk, Dominic's reflection ties Rowan more deeply to Dominic's inner life. As Rowan walks beside Dominic, Dominic also feels the presence of Dominic's wife, revealing how desire, grief, and hesitation remain entangled.