Fresh Water for Flowers

Violette arrives at Geneviève’s, seeking answers. Geneviève sends her away, so Violette returns home. She tells Philippe she remembers the woman from Léonine’s school, and Philippe grows angry and violent. He tells her never to return to the cemetery. Later, she goes to visit Léonine’s school.

Violette considers Irène’s diary. She often wrote of encountering Violette in the cemetery. After Irène’s night with Gabriel, they argued and Irène returned home.

Geneviève remembers the little girls arriving at the hotel. She was startled to see Philippe’s daughter. As she prepared the food, she considered how she could do Léonine harm.

Elvis tells Violette that Françoise Pelletier, the woman Philippe was living with, has arrived to see her. They discuss Philippe, and Françoise tells Violette of her history with him. She was once married to his uncle, and Philippe pursued her all through his youth. She rebuffed his manipulations, which grew more aggressive as he grew older. Eventually, however, she came to love him. Philippe went on to marry Violette, and their families grew apart. Two years after Françoise’s husband died, Philippe returned to her.

Irène’s diary recounts seeing Gabriel when he comes to see her at her rose nursery. They drive to a hotel. The next day they buy new clothes and spend the week together. Irène sees her husband driving and knows she must choose between the two men. Instead, she spends the day alone before returning to work the next day.

The narrative moves to Philippe’s perspective in the aftermath of the trial of the hotel director. He knows the witnesses are lying, and he considers his life with Violette. He goes to see the man who worked in maintenance at the hotel, looking for answers. When the man refuses to tell him anything, Philippe beats him up.

Françoise and Violette attend Philippe’s burial. He is buried with his uncle, and Violette leaves a plaque on his tomb in Léonine’s memory.

After seeing the maintenance man, Philippe confronts Geneviève. She is frightened of him, but instead of attacking her, Philippe only sits down and cries. Then he leaves, and Geneviève plans her death by suicide.

Violette meets with her solicitor; she received a large inheritance after Philippe’s death. The solicitor encourages her to use the money to start a new life, but Violette is happy the way she is.

Violette remembers spending several days with Sasha. He tells her of his past marriage as he came to terms with being a gay man. He and his wife had two children together, but they were killed in a car crash. After they died, Sasha took on the role of cemetery keeper. He tells Violette he wants to pass his job on to her.

Violette addresses Léonine, lamenting the life she never got to live.

A little boy visits Violette while his father is in the cemetery. Julien enters, and she realizes the boy is his son. Julien explains that they’re going to a cousin’s wedding and invites Violette to come with them.

In the past, Philippe remembers visiting the hotel where Léonine was killed. Years later, he goes to visit her grave, deciding to create a better life for Violette. However, he sees her walking with Sasha and concludes that they’re having an affair.

By chance, Irène sees Gabriel on TV. The next day she reaches out to him, and he invites her to meet. She travels to see him but feels cast aside by his work colleagues. She learns that Gabriel is now married, but they spend the night together anyway.

Violette, Julien, and Julien’s son, Nathan, travel to the wedding. They discuss Irène and Gabriel and go into a roadside shop for wedding gifts.

Philippe processes his suspicions about Violette. His daily routine is upset by the news that they’ll be losing their jobs as barrier operators and that Geneviève has died by suicide. Violette makes him promise that Geneviève will not be buried in the same cemetery as Léonine.

Violette and Julien dance as the wedding comes to a close. They go for a walk, and Julien convinces her to join him at his hotel, but they find themselves locked out. Violette finds this hilarious and feels as though she is beginning to find happiness.

Violette attends a burial for a Jewish man. A female rabbi presides. Violette remembers coming home with Julien and Nathan after the wedding and watching them leave her behind.

In the past, Philippe goes to see the maintenance man after Geneviève’s death. The man tells Philippe the truth about the young girls’ deaths: Someone deliberately lit a faulty water heater and released carbon monoxide into the air. Geneviève came to the maintenance man for help because she had been away from her post when the event occurred, so they started the fire to cover up her negligence.

After Geneviève is buried, Violette tells Philippe she’s found them a new job at the cemetery. He agrees, and they begin their new life.