The Last Anniversary

Rose tells Sophie the truth about the Munro Baby Mystery. Rose and Connie’s dad suffered from “shell shock” after World War I. She and Connie enjoyed carefree, tomboyish lives running around the island. Their mom was the sole provider and also performed all the household labor. She died of pneumonia at age 37. The teenaged Connie desperately tried to find ways to support her family. A nearby island, Banksia Island, was a popular tourist destination, and this fascinated Connie. Connie began working as a bookie, but to justify her earnings to her father, she told him that she’d secured tenants for her dead grandparents’ house on the island: The fabricated tenants were Jack and Alice Munro. Rose began to work at the cosmetics counter of a department store in the city. Rose was caught stealing by her boss, whom she referred to as “Mr. Egg Head.” Instead of firing Rose, he blackmailed her to perform sexual acts for him and raped her.

Margie takes care of Ron’s black eye. Ron asks if she wants to go on a picnic, and she thinks of all the times that she requested this but he turned her down.

Last night, Margie and Rotund Ron performed at the Bulges to Biceps Body Building Competition. Rotund Ron had asked her to do this with him after the Weight Watchers meeting because she seemed like someone with a sense of humor. Margie and Rotund Ron never had an affair, but they developed an intense friendship as they exercised together several times a week.

Ron asks if Margie wants to go to Europe, and she sees how desperately he is trying to fix things. She realizes that he has spent decades crushing her self-esteem to make himself feel better. She tells him that she wants to go on a solo road trip for a few months.

Rose resumes her story for Sophie. Connie realized that Rose was pregnant at 15. Connie decided that she would say Jack and Alice disappeared, then attract tourists to Scribbly Gum Island with the mystery. Connie told their father that Alice Munro was pregnant. Their father was blind and physically incapable of leaving their house, so there was no danger of him realizing that the Munros did not exist.

Rose gave birth on the floor of the “Munro” house. Connie cut the cord and cut her own hand in the process (which was the bloodstain on the kitchen floor). The girls told their dad that the Munros disappeared and left their baby, then told the police the same thing. Jimmy the reporter was sent out to do the report. Connie told Jimmy the truth years later, and he was furious with her; the sisters had already established a thriving business at this point. In the 1970s, Connie planted a letter “from Alice” under the floorboards to revitalize interest in the island.

Callum calls Sophie to tell her Grace is okay and to apologize for kissing her. They both agree that this was wrong.

Grace sits in the hospital with her mother. Laura realizes what Grace was trying to do. Laura tells her that she was never maternal and expects that Margie will be a better grandmotherly figure to Jake. Laura tells Grace that she practiced using an EpiPen by stabbing bananas. When Grace threatened to eat the sesame bar as a child, Laura was prepared to knock it out of her hand.

Rose tells Sophie that Connie found the perfect man for Sophie, but Rose cannot remember who it is.

Callum, Grace, and Jake drive to see the progress of their house in the mountains. Callum is furious with himself for considering having an affair with Sophie.

An unspecified speaker tries to contact Sophie to tell her that they remember who Connie wanted Sophie to meet.

Sophie has decided to take some time off work and decide if she wants to pursue a new career. She is interrupted by a man at the window. She recognizes him as Callum’s friend, then realizes that he is her childhood friend Eddie. Sophie and Eddie catch up and discuss their respective blushing and twitching problems. Sophie feels very connected to Eddie and is so sure that he’s the man Connie was talking about. Eddie reveals that he is gay.

Grace and Callum have sex.

Enigma is still mad at Rose for sharing the family secret and taking away her attention. Enigma is pleased to receive an offer from a journalist to be interviewed on TV.

Sophie and Eddie discuss how much they want to be parents.

Grace takes Jake on a hike. She thinks about her postpartum-support group.

Sophie and Eddie have a short conversation about their ideal baby.

During her hike, Grace feels motherly toward Jake for the first time. She is ecstatic.

Sophie imagines speaking to her future children and thinks about how Eddie is an unconventional Prince Charming.

Sophie has a very short conversation with Rick, who broke up with his girlfriend. He asks Sophie out.

Sophie has a very short conversation with Ian, who returned from New Zealand. He asks Sophie out.

Rose has decided to try marijuana to help with her arthritis pain, and she feels better than she has in a long time. She paints her family on the kitchen floor. She thinks about her life and remembers a secret she has not told anyone. When she was younger she visited her rapist at his house to show him Enigma. He said she was an ugly baby so she hit him in the back of the head with a bread board, killing him. This was the Bread Board Murder, which was never solved. In the present, Sophie arrives to find Rose looking perfectly innocent.