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Nora does not feel strong enough to support Libby on her own, so she enlists Charlie’s help. Libby revives, and they insist on taking her to the hospital. Charlie takes charge at the hospital while the doctors run tests on Libby, and he comforts Nora. In Charlie’s arms, Nora feels vulnerable and remembers that she has not cried since her mother’s death; she was unable to cry because she realized she was waiting for her mother to complete the ritual of putting her arms around her before she would feel safe enough to cry. Nora realizes that Charlie also looks queasy, and he says that he feels uncomfortable in hospitals ever since Clint’s stroke. He tells Nora that she has been making too many of Libby’s decisions for her and that it is not her job to always watch out for her.

The doctor arrives and delivers the frightening news that Libby has suffered a pulmonary embolism and is anemic. She suffered from this ailment in her previous pregnancies, and Nora was completely unaware of it. Libby merely needs to increase her vitamin B12 intake to be better. Nora is relieved and takes refuge in Charlie’s arms.

Back in the hospital room, Libby says that she feels overwhelming guilt at Nora’s tendency to “drop everything to manage my life” and that it makes her feel incapable (288). Libby says that their mother expected too much from Nora and made her a surrogate co-parent to Libby. Nora realizes that Charlie is right about their dynamic and that all Libby “wants is a sister. Nothing more, nothing less” (289). Libby wants to know she can do things on her own, without her husband or her sister’s help. Libby then confesses that she has been a secret meat-eater during her pregnancies and that the collapse may have happened because she posed as a vegetarian in front of Nora.

Charlie and Nora resume editing Dusty’s novel. The book has Nora’s favorite kind of ending, one that is bleak but hopeful at the same time, as it reminds her that even after her mother’s death, there can be gains as well as losses. Charlie and Nora get stuck in a power outage. Charlie lights a fire and says that he needs to say something. Nora speculates that he will say he is not ready to date anyone and then says that she does not find him too rigid. He tells her instead that he is not going back to New York because his sister eloped in Italy and is staying there. He emailed Libby to let her know the apartment is hers. He needs to stay and help his parents with the shop. It turns out the Loggia job opening Dusty mentioned is his own, and he is giving it up for Nora. Nora is overwhelmed by how much Charlie is giving up and asks about his wants and needs. She asks to have him for a night, and he tells her that she already has him. She opens herself to him even though she will have to give him up.

Nora and Charlie have protected sex, to the mutual satisfaction of both. They are extremely compatible and affirm their feelings for each other.

After they sleep together, Charlie asks Nora to break her rule of never staying at strange men’s places and stay with him. Nora says she cannot because of a trauma involving staying at her boyfriend Jakob’s house the night her mother died. While she had longer relationships, Jakob was the only one I chose “over everything else […] fell headfirst into my feelings for him, without any caution” (308). On the night Nora’s mother died, she was at Jakob’s; her phone died, so she was unreachable and unaware of the death while Libby tried to call her for four hours. After finding Libby traumatized, Nora moved back in with her and devoted her life to caring for her sister. Jakob was understanding at first, but when he got a writer’s residency at Wyoming, Nora told him to go. Charlie affirms that Jakob should have been there for her. Nora relates that she planned a surprise visit to Jakob, and when she arrived, she immediately saw that things had changed between them. She had a panic attack at being away from Libby, and—while Nora was thinking that she and her sister might be able to move to Wyoming—Jakob told her he met someone else. Since that heartache, Nora has been afraid to let anyone else get close to her or to trust herself. Charlie tells her not to “apologize for letting me know you” (311). He then pronounces Jakob the villain in Nora’s story, because he left the moment Nora needed something from him. Charlie offers to take her home or to hold her if she wakes up screaming and wants to stay. Nora says she will stay a little longer. They have sex again, and she feels that she is falling in love with Charlie.

Libby feels mixed about Nora and Charlie getting together and tells her she should explore it, especially because she has not been this crazy about anyone since Jakob. She tells Libby that she does not want to give up everything to stay with Charlie and feels that there is no happy ending for women who want it all.

Libby reunites with her husband and daughters when they come to Sunshine Falls, and Nora is reassured to see that they belong together. Nora takes the girls so Libby and Brendan can be alone.

The family has dinner in Asheville, and Nora texts Charlie to ask him what he misses about New York. The next day, Libby announces that she has a surprise for Nora and guides her into the Sunshine Falls house she will move into with her family. Brendan already found a job in Asheville. Nora is shocked and upset because she feels that Libby belongs in New York, along with her memories of her mother. Nora says that in a week she wants to go home. She feels that Libby’s checklist amounted to “some fucked-up goodbye” (322). The person Nora assumed was Libby’s divorce lawyer was actually a friend of Sally’s who was recommending preschools. Nora tries to get Libby out of her decision and offers her money, but Libby firmly rejects it. Nora feels like she herself is being rejected.

Nora walks off and thinks about her own home and what this change means to her family of origin, “Mom and Libby and me” (324). She finds Charlie and tells him her fears of being alone. Charlie promises to be there for her. Nora thinks she is not alone for now but is also conscious that nothing beautiful ever lasts.

Nora cries uncontrollably, realizing how afraid she is of everything coming apart. Charlie tries to reassure her that Libby is not rejecting her by moving away. He admits that he felt claustrophobic and unsure of how to be himself in Sunshine Falls until Nora turned up. He tells Nora that she does not need to change anything about herself and is perfect to him. Nora fantasizes about the perfect life she could have if both Charlie and her sister were in New York City. Nora offers to stay in Sunshine Falls. Charlie affirms that she cannot make the decision for him or for Libby and reminds her how much she loves the city and being an editor. They both sleep in the shop that night, and she sleeps well. The next morning, they hang out, make love, and Charlie thinks they might find a way to figure things out. He declares he will never love anyone as much as he does Nora.

At the house, she finds Libby and asks her why she kept the move a secret from her. Libby affirms that Nora always keeps secrets from her, such as fixing things without her approval. Libby admits that the entire trip was an elaborate sales pitch, as she wanted Nora to come and live with them in Sunshine Falls. She even thinks the romance with Charlie will make Nora want to stay, too. When Nora tells Libby about scoring Charlie’s editing job, Libby assents that it is Nora’s dream, and she must do it. The two of them hug, feel close, and cry, and Nora is surprised to find that they can both survive the pain of separation “without the other shouldering it” (337). Libby tells Nora not to choose her over the job, rather than staying with Libby, and says the choice “fucking sucks” (338). Paradoxically, Nora finds peace in the contradiction and not being able to do anything to fix it.

Charlie and Nora go for a walk, and Charlie suggests that they take turns visiting each other monthly. Nora worries that this will not work, given that she has lost exes during separations, and she fears losing Charlie, too. Nora’s alternative proposal is that they have one fantastic week together, and then she goes home without saying goodbye. Charlie refuses and tells her that she must come up with a better ending.

They are busy working on the fundraiser ball for Goode Books, and Nora tries to spend the week dreaming up a good solution. She and Libby sleep under the stars.

The town revives for the festival, and Nora sees that Libby will be happy there. Charlie buys Nora a flannel shirt, and they dance. Charlie begins talking about New York City, and she imagines how challenging a long-distance relationship full of multiple commitments would be. She tells him she loves him too much to make long-distance work with him. He replies that he loves her so much that he does not want to persuade her to be happy in Sunshine Falls. They kiss without a goodbye.

On the way home, Nora bumps into Clint, who tells her that Charlie “shouldn’t be here” and will not be happy (354). Clint says that he has been happy to see Charlie not being lonely in a town where he doesn’t fit. He is more himself with her in town. However, Nora tells Clint that he should not try to convince Charlie that he does not belong or that he cannot help him, and she turns away.

Back in the city, Nora does her first interview for the Loggia job and hangs out with Libby before the move. Then, November comes, Libby moves away, and Nora finds herself crying hard in public. Libby calls her and asks to hear about New York, and Nora feels that love is built on compromises.

Nora, who now works at Loggia Publishing, still holds fast to her ritual of going to Freeman Books on her mother’s birthday, December 12. She is struck by the thought that “Charlie should be here” (363). He actually shows up, as Libby’s gift to her, and tells her that Goode Books is under new management, announcing that Libby is now the manager. He says that at the shop, his family showed up with a PowerPoint presentation with “Twelve Steps to Reunite Soul Mates” written on the first slide (367). When Nora points out that Sally did not want the store to be run by someone outside the family, Charlie says that he hopes that Libby will not long be outside the family. His parents affirm that Charlie cannot surrender his happiness to look after them. Nora accepts his proposal of staying in New York and finding more work there.

Six months later, Libby’s baby, Kitty, has been born, Charlie has a job at Wharton Books, and Sally has exhibited two of her paintings. Charlie and Nora are about to get engaged. They hold an event at Goode Books to mark the release of Dusty’s book, Frigid, bringing the characters together in Sunshine Falls again.