- Lily describes her feelings in the wake of going through her mother's things. It seems she remained in a bit of a funk for some time. Oddly, at some point during this low period, she found a pile of mouse bones under her cot, washed them, and started carrying them around. Okay then . . .
- Meanwhile, life went on around her. She describes the wedding plans June was making.
- One day, she came into the house to find Rosaleen getting ready to make another attempt at registering to vote.
- Later, Zach called (August had filled him in, as Lily asked). They discussed their future plans, and Lily admitted she would probably have to go back to her dad. Zach, for his part, announced he was going to the white high school the following year.
- Then Rosaleen came home and started calling all the Daughters of Mary to tell them she had registered. Lily found that she regretted not having gone with Rosaleen, and she suddenly felt compelled to run up behind her, throw her arms around her waist, and tell her she loved her.
- Later that night, Lily went on a cleaning jag in the honey house. She decided not to carry around the mouse bones anymore, so she just tied them up and put them on a shelf.
- The next day, Lily put on a whale pin that had belonged to her mother and headed into the house for breakfast. After she ate, Lily joined August out at the hives. August showed her a hive that was missing its queen and talked about how she would help the hive survive.
- This discussion prompted August to explain why she had once told Lily the story of Beatrix the nun, revealing that Lily had misinterpreted her intentions with that tale.
- Then, August talked to Lily about the true meaning of Our Lady of Chains as a symbol/source of strength.
- Later that day, Lily answered a knock (or, really, a pounding) at the door. It was T. Ray. It seems he found her by looking at his phone bill (which listed the point of origin for the collect call she had placed from Clayton Forrest's office; Miss Lacy, Mr. Forrest's secretary, had sent him to the pink house).
- Needless to say, the conversation was heated. T. Ray was furious that Lily had left, and he got super agitated when he saw her wearing her mother's pin (which T. Ray apparently had given her). Lily then filled T. Ray in regarding August's relationship to Deborah.
- T. Ray then hit Lily across the face and kicked her, shouting about how Lily had left him (which seemed to remind him of how Deborah left him). He seemed confused about the fact that it was Lily he was talking to, accidentally calling her "Deborah."
- He then grabbed her in an attempt to force her to leave with him, snatching his knife and waving it in her face. Seeing that he was "crazy with anguish" and confusing her with her mother, (14.166) Lily tried to remind him who she was by screaming, " Daddy!" at him (14.169).
- That seemed to do the trick, and he let her go. Lily apologized for leaving him. While all this was going on, she spotted Rosaleen and August at the door of the room. She signaled to them to stay out of it for now.
- He seemed ashamed of his actions—however, he still intended to take Lily with him. She refused.
- August and Rosaleen then made their presence known. August said Lily was welcome to stay as long as she wanted. As they were talking, Lily heard Queenie drive up and realized that August had called the Daughters for backup. Queenie, Violet, Mabelee, and Lunelle came in, ready for a tussle. August then reiterated that Lily was welcome to stay, explaining that that she had become invaluable as an apprentice beekeeper.
- T. Ray ultimately relented and huffed out of the house. Lily was about to let him go without further ado, but then she ran out to stop him. She wanted to ask if she really was the one responsible for her mother's death. He said yes.
- Lily then talks about what has been happening up through the present. It seems Clayton Forrest comes by weekly to talk about clearing up Rosaleen's legal issues back in Sylvan. Lily has made friends with his daughter, Becca. The two girls hang out with Zach at school and endure some harassment as a result, but they don't care.
- Lily also notes she has become the keeper of May's wall, and she continues to write.