Chick talks to his mother and Thelma as his mother does Thelma’s makeup. The revelation that his mother worked as a house cleaner makes him realize how little he understands about her life, and his parents’ relationship. Though he hates his job, he now sees what an amazing opportunity he had to play baseball as a career even if it had not lasted as long as he wanted. He reflects on how hard his mother and Thelma have worked, and thinks with some shame that, had he shown similar strength and dedication, he might have been able to keep his family together. He tells them that he hates his job because he “‘didn’t want to be ordinary’” (98). To Chick, being ordinary means that you will be forgotten. With a smile, Thelma tells him that having her family around her reminds her that she won’t be forgotten.

The chapter ends with a long note from his mother that she had given him on his wedding day to Catherine. The note explains that, when things get tough in a marriage, it’s important to value the marriage in and of itself as a way of keeping a family together.