October

October marks the bleak, rainy night on which Kate says goodbye to her family and friends one by one, then closes her eyes for the last time. The month becomes the setting for her death and for the first acts of farewell that follow: Tully carries out Kate’s funeral instructions while the two families gather together in grief.

Kate’s Final Night

The end comes on an October night marked by rain and darkness. With everyone she loves gathered around her bed, Kate whispers a final, special thing to each person before closing her eyes for the last time. The scene moves from individual farewells to silence: her death follows the intimate exchange, while rain against the window and the falling dark give the moment its stark setting.

Funeral and Aftermath

Kate’s last To Do list concerns her funeral, and Tully follows it to the letter. The Catholic church on the island is filled with photographs, flowers, and friends. Kate has chosen Tully’s favorite flowers rather than her own, a final gesture of care that persists into the arrangements made after her death.

For days, Tully concentrates on funeral details and takes care of everything. Meanwhile, the Ryans and the Mularkeys sit together on the beach, holding hands and occasionally remembering to talk. October’s closing night thus leads into two distinct forms of mourning: Tully’s practical work of carrying out Kate’s wishes, and the families’ shared, quieter presence beside one another.