The narrator returns home to an empty apartment, indicating a habitual utterance towards their absent grandmother, still feeling the need to announce their arrival.
They reflect on their shared routines and the emptiness of the home without their grandmother, including their daily and weekly household chores.
The narrator begins to clean, adhering to the Monday cleaning routine taught by their grandmother, and reminisces about her practicing cleanliness as a way to lead a good life.
Gran's presence is felt throughout the apartment in the form of landscape paintings and the teachings she instilled in the narrator.
A heavy sense of loss permeates the chapter as the narrator emotionally cleans the apartment, avoiding Gran's room, which remains closed.
The cleaning process is a time of contemplation for the narrator, triggering memories about their family, specially about their absent mother and disreputable father.
Gran's industrious work ethic is remembered as well as her life savings, known as “the Fabergé,” a safety net for the narrator's future.
The troubling past with schoolmates and the choice of pursuing a profession as a maid is revealed, a path influenced by admiration for Gran.
The narrator recounts their initial experiences at the Regency Grand hotel, meeting staff and the excitement of their first interviews and trials.
Gran's supportive presence is evident not just at home but in guiding the narrator towards adulthood and independence.
The narrative shifts to a past relationship with a character named Wilbur, who seemed innocuous at first but later betrayed the narrator's trust and stole from Gran's nest egg.
Confronted with Wilbur's betrayal, the narrator chooses to protect Gran from the disturbing truth rather than recover the lost money.
Gran's health declines, revealing a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, leading to a painful acknowledgment of her impending death.
The narrator musters strength and continues to support Gran, hiding financial distress caused by Wilbur's theft, and enduring extra work shifts amid the emotional turmoil.
The chapter concludes with Mr. Snow, the hotel manager, calling the narrator, informing them about the traumatic death of Mr. Black and requesting the narrator to fill in for a distressed colleague the following day, which the narrator agrees to despite having gone through a trying day.