Dante delivers two dozen roses to Lilly on behalf of his family after she is named teacher of the year.

Later that day, Dante and Ari are lying on the floor in Ari’s room. Dante tells Ari “I wish things could be different for us” (333). They both agree that it is nice to think that they could live together someday. Noticing the rain, Ari drags Dante outside so he can kiss him in the rain.

Lilly’s teacher of the year award makes Ari realizes how many admirers she has in the community. The Catholic Daughters arrange for a street party to be thrown in her honor, and the school district has an award ceremony where Lilly is given a plaque and a check.

The best honor she receives comes in the form of a letter from a former student. Now a lawyer, the student, who still goes by the nickname he earned in her class, Lizard, tells her that he thinks of her all the time, even well into adulthood. He thanks her for all he taught her, and for setting a superb example for him when he was a boy. Enclosed in the letter is a gold-plated lizard pendant on a gold chain.