Cherry recounts the painful dissolution of her marriage to David. When she confronted him about Stella, David did not deny the affair and vaguely blamed Cherry's absence during the traumatic balcony incident. Both Cherry and David were upset about losing the baby girl due to the hospital mix-up but never properly discussed their grief. Cherry once told David he didn't even like her, and he turned the question back on her, leaving both to acknowledge the oddness of their relationship, which Cherry attributes primarily to sexual attraction rather than deeper compatibility.

Cherry's in-laws tried to help save the marriage, with Auntie Pat suggesting a "Marriage Encounter" weekend, but neither Cherry nor David could stomach the idea. The divorce involved painful logistics—paperwork, canceling their adoption plans, dividing assets, and a bitter fight over a saucepan. Despite everything, they continued sleeping together until well after David had moved in with Stella. Cherry notes that David went on to build a successful life as a cardiologist with Stella, having children and grandchildren, while Cherry became "just a little footnote." She called David when his mother Michelle died, acknowledging that Michelle had tried to stay friends but ultimately had to choose her son. Cherry says she forgave Stella for the affair but never forgave her for taking away her in-laws.

Amid the divorce, Cherry's mother Mae died young—a death Cherry considers unnecessary. In her final hours, Mae lay on morphine administered by Auntie Pat, who had exhausted herself refusing to let anyone else nurse her sister. Cherry sat in her father's old high-backed chair while Pat sat on the other side of the bed. Mae's breathing grew erratic and labored. At one point, Mae waved her fingers like a conductor and said, "Dancing the Swiss fondue! Wasn't that funny, Pat?" followed by "Oh, darling, isn't she the funniest little thing?"—words Cherry believes were directed at her already-deceased father. Those were Mae's last words. An hour later, Mae took a final breath, and there were no more.

Cherry imagines her father waiting for Mae on the dance floor at The Cab, ready to swing her into a dance. She closes with a recent dream in which she saw her parents dancing together; they turned, held out their arms, and she ran to them like a child.