- After the burial, August and June appeared to go into a solitary mourning period, spending most of their days in their rooms (including meals). Lily lamented the timing, since she was finally ready (and in fact itching) to ask August about her mother.
- Meanwhile, Lily was also trying to think about where to go next, assuming they had to leave the pink house eventually.
- She describes how her relationship with Zach evolved during that time. Zach's time in jail seemed to have intensified his interest in social justice and civil rights issues.
- Lily knew that the mourning period was over when June, August, Rosaleen, and Lily finally sat down to dinner together.
- During the meal, August quizzed June about whether she was going to marry Neil, but June evaded the question. Then they all did their prayers together.
- After dinner and prayers, Lily decided to move herself back out to the honey house to sleep (she had remained with Rosaleen in the pink house since May's death). She had trouble sleeping, though, knowing that she would tell August about her mother the next day. She continued to think about where she might have to go next.
- When she woke up, she discovered the older women baking in preparation for Mary Day, their celebration of the Feast of the Assumption. Apparently it was going to be a busy day.
- Then Neil showed up in the middle of all the prep. He asked June to marry him—again. Only this time, June said yes. As a result, June got excused from all the prep duty to go hang out with Neil and pick out an engagement ring. Excuses, excuses . . .
- Lily goes on to describe the elaborate preparations—from food to decorations—that Mary Day entailed.
- Then, the Daughters of Mary arrived in the evening, and the celebrations began. Lily describes the whole fiesta, including the reenactment of the story of Our Lady of Chain. That ceremony culminates in the statue of Our Lady being covered in chains and stored in the honey house overnight.
- Seeing Mary chained up made Lily sad, so she left the ceremony while people were still meditating with the statue. Zach followed. They walked to the river, where they talked and shared a kiss.