After May's funeral, August and June begin a week of mourning, staying away from everyone. Lily writes in her notebook but misses her old routine with the family. She roams the woods looking for signs from her mother, and then pulls out her old map to decide what city she and Rosaleen should go to next. During this period, Zach talks with Lily about law school, but she can see that he has changed. His jail stay has turned him into an angry young man, who is drawn to the likes of Malcolm X and the Afro-American Unity group. Lily wishes he were the Zach she remembers, but he tells her they can't change their skin. Instead they have to change the world.
Once the mourning is over, the women have dinner together, say prayers, and August folds May's suicide note up and slips it in a crack in the side of Our Lady's neck. Lily decides to move back to the honey house to be alone. She resolves to tell August her story the next day and slides her mother's things under her pillow. All night she tosses and dreams, fearful of what August's reaction will be.
The next morning, Lily goes to the kitchen and sees the others making cakes for Mary Day. It is August 15, and they are celebrating the Assumption, during which the Daughters will reenact Mary's story. Neil arrives first and asks June to marry him, and she accepts. When they return from a ride, June is wearing an engagement ring. The Daughters come with Zach, and Lily is reminded that she really loves this place and these people. Lunelle offers to make Lily a hat, and Lily requests a blue one.
