Paul D returns to Sethe

After hearing about the events at 124, Paul D returns to find Sethe bedridden and deeply depressed. She has given up on life, believing that Beloved, her 'best thing,' has left her. Paul D gently confronts her, telling her that she is her own best thing. He offers to take care of her, to rub her feet, and to build a future together. Sethe, for the first time, begins to consider the possibility of a life beyond her trauma. Paul D's return offers a glimmer of hope for a new beginning.