Lucas continues his narrative by Lucy’s side in the hospital. He receives a call from his father after some months that they are visiting them for an important discussion.
He casts his mind back to the arrival of his parents in their truck. It is a hot summer day in the middle of July. They all gather on the front porch to welcome them.
John and Elizabeth are happy seeing the children while Lucas and Isabelle watch how the children mail around them.
Isabelle leads them inside and to the guest room upstairs. She tells them to freshen up while she gets the supper ready. Elizabeth thanks her and commends the aroma of her food.
Lucas reveals to his father that Isabelle is preparing his favorite food. He tells the children to follow him, so that his parents will get ready for supper.
Lucas, Isabelle and the children go downstairs. The children are in the living room playing while Isabelle continues with the preparation of supper.
As supper is almost done, Isabelle sets the table. Lucas sneaks in behind her and expresses his love for her. Isabelle says the same thing and kisses him.
Lucas helps Isabelle to set the table as his parents come downstairs. He thereafter goes to the living room to gather the children.
When the parents are seated, Isabelle serves roast beef with seasoned roasted baby potatoes and glazed carrots.
John and Elizabeth commend Isabelle’s food and Elizabeth says she’s happy that she married Lucas. Lucas brings in the children and they all enjoy the sumptuous food prepared by Isabelle.
After supper, Lucas and his father sit in the living room with a cup of coffee, while Elizabeth and Isabelle are getting the children ready for sleep.
Lucas and his father discuss his Studebaker as they talk about past events. The former suspects that something is wrong with his father from his voice and he asks him if he is all right.
Elizabeth, Isabelle and the children interrupt to tell them goodnight. John then opens up to Lucas that something is agitating his mind but his mother doesn’t know about it. He says he wants to share it in confidence with him for the moment.
Lucas assures his father and asks him what the problem is. John explains that James, Lucas’s brother, is moving to the city for his children to have better schooling and good therapy.
James also wants to sell the house for a down payment on a house in the city. Lucas supports all his father has said.
His father then adds that James wants to sell the farmhouse he gave him. He doesn’t want to work on the farm again when he leaves as he has found a trucking logs job.
Lucas then advises his father that he can get outside help. John explains further that Mary needs his help and his health is deteriorating.
Lucas asks about Joe, Mary’s husband and his father’s health. John replies that his asthma is getting worse. The doctor even told him that he might need oxygen to breathe within the next three months.
He says Mary’s husband is irresponsible and drinks all about. He is responsible for Mary’s bills and has sold the land purchased years ago.
He reveals he doesn’t know how to tell Lucas’s mother that he is nearly bankrupt. He says he doesn’t have the energy as before again.
In response to Lucas’s questions, he says that he doesn’t want to tell James because of Donna and Scott. That the parents need to provide better care for them. He thereby says he wants Lucas to go back with them.
This comes to Lucas as a shock and he expresses his feelings. He tells his father that he has one more year to get his mechanic certificate and has a great job.
John says he understands but will run into debt if urgent action is not taken on the farm. He says Elizabeth would be demoralized if she knew they could lose the farm and that it’s only Lucas who can help.
He says that Lucas is young and knowledgeable about farming. He tells Lucas that he can cut logs and sell them to the pulp industry.
Lucas complains that the house will be too small for all of them to live in with the children. His father begs him again passionately to help him.
Lucas is quiet for a few minutes and he is at a crossroads on what to do. He feels for his father’s situation and at the same time feels he is responsible to his large family. He is also close to realizing his dream. He considers his responsibility to his father as a son.
John fixes his eyes on the floor wondering about his situation. The choice he has for the farm is Lucas.
Lucas sees his father staring at the floor and thinks about how his successful old man went bankrupt and became fragile. He wants to be responsible to his family, achieve his aim and be a good child to his father.
Lucas concludes that he has to go back to his father’s farm to put things back to normal. He thereby tells his father that he needs to discuss it with Isabelle. He then urges his father to tell his mother about it.
He says he doesn’t want the woman to be surprised when he moves back with them. John then promises to tell Elizabeth everything about it.
Lucas also asks his father to promise him that he will not be responsible to Joe again. He says they will talk with him and Mary to let them understand John’s situation and the need to take over their responsibilities.
Lucas tells his father that he should put himself and his Mom first now. He adds that it’s a difficult decision to make for his father because he has been responsible for others before. John agrees with Lucas’s ideas but feels sad about Mary’s living conditions.
Lucas speaks his mind about farming. He says he will be giving up what he loves most for farming which he doesn’t like for the love he has for his father.
He explains further that he is ready to put his life on halt for some time to resuscitate his father’s farm.
Lucas hugs his father and the latter hugs him back and says Lucas is a great man and shows his appreciation. Lucas then thinks about how Isabelle will take it and the connections of the children to their schools.
Isabelle and Elizabeth are amazed that Lucas and his father are deep in conversation. Isabelle brings in the coffee pot to serve them. They all settle down chatting about the children’s growth and Thomas, the miracle baby.
As the discourse goes on, Lucas and his father discover that the women are not aware of their earlier discussions. But they don’t know how the women will take it when they tell them.
Lucas checks his wristwatch and looks at Isabelle and his parents. He stands up and says he believes everyone must be tired and calls it a night.
John corroborates that he is tired. Lucas then hugs and kisses his parents and bids them goodnight. Everybody proceeds to their bedrooms and sleeps peacefully.