In August, Vianne quietly slips from bed after another night of abuse by the German officer Von Richter. She washes in candlelight, staring at her bruises and the ruin outside Le Jardin, and struggles with shame, fear, and constant worry for Antoine and Isabelle. Downstairs, Sophie confronts Vianne about the visible violence and asks why Vianne endures it; Vianne admits she hates Von Richter too but refuses the dangerous fantasy of killing him, insisting she is surviving to keep Sophie and Daniel safe.

Weeks later, Vianne takes the orphanage children and Mother Superior to swim, trying to give them a normal day amid destruction. During the outing, Vianne is hit with sudden nausea and vomits; when she realizes it has happened before, she understands she is pregnant. The revelation horrifies her because the child is not wanted “now,” and not by “him.”

Soon after, church bells ring as German forces retreat through Carriveau. Von Richter stops long enough to announce they are leaving, insults Vianne, and departs with his bag, while other soldiers jeer. Once he is gone, Vianne collapses in relief and Sophie and Daniel cling to her, celebrating that the immediate terror in their home has ended.

In the following month, despite Allied gains, Vianne remains consumed by anxiety for Antoine, Isabelle, and Rachel. Then, on an autumn day, Vianne inexplicably walks toward town and sees Antoine approaching; he has escaped captivity and is physically and emotionally altered. Vianne tries to confess that German officers lived in their home, but Sophie interrupts with a joyful reunion, and Daniel immediately claims Antoine as “Papa.” At dinner and afterward, Antoine’s trauma shows in his behavior, and Vianne feels guilt and distance, unable to fully respond to his touch.

As they try to resume married life, Vianne chooses not to tell Antoine about the rapes or the pregnancy’s true origin, fearing it will destroy him and them. By November, with no word from Isabelle and Vianne’s belly beginning to grow, Vianne tells Antoine she is nearly two months pregnant and implies it happened the first night he returned. Antoine responds with relief and hope, calling the baby a miracle and urging them to move forward together, even as Vianne is suffocated by the secret she is keeping.