after the funeral, m'lynn breaks down in hysterics but is comforted by the other women. later, at the wake, m'lynn begins to accept her daughter's decision to end her life in return for a few special years of motherhood. annelle, now married and pregnant, asks m'lynn if she could name her own baby after shelby, since shelby was the reason she and sammy met. m'lynn gives her blessing and assures annelle that shelby would have loved it, accepting that "life goes on."