As Ed and Audrey leave the theater, he catches a glimpse of the young man who left the reel, but he vanishes before Ed can ask him anything. In the following days, Ed feels a mixture of relief and apprehension as he considers that the ace of hearts is likely the final card. He determines that the three titles on the card are films, but he lets work distract him from investigating further.

Ed gathers old packs of playing cards and writes notes to everyone who’s received one of his messages on the aces. Although the recipients will “never really know what it means and in some cases will have no idea who in the hell this Ed person is” (269), Ed still thinks it’s important to recognize the lives that have interwoven with his. Sophie and Father O’Reilly spot Ed as he’s delivering these unconventional Christmas cards and thank him for all he’s done for them. Ed struggles to accept their gratitude due to his apprehension about what the ace of hearts may bring.