Summary
Chapter 6 is a continuation of chapter 2 and picks up with the letter. Oskar's grandfather explains the rules that he and Oskar's grandmother established for their marriage; everything between them was "a measurement, a marriage of millimeters, of rules." For example, they never speak about the past, she never looks over his shoulder while he is writing, and they never listen to sad music. He confesses that they have so many rules that he cannot remember what is and is not a rule. He explains that he started to bring home magazines and papers so that she could work on mastering the English language, especially idioms like the "bee's knees" and the "cat's pajamas." Oskar's grandfather began to spend a lot of time at the airport where he collected discarded newspapers and magazines, and where he watched people reunite, memorized the flight schedules, and found joy even though it was not his own.

The couple created "Nothing Places" in their apartment "in which one could be assured of complete privacy." Part of the living room and the entire guest room became such places as did other sections of the apartment. However, the result was a conflict between "Nothing" and "Something" and so everything was color coded using green and orange markers, respectively. Oskar's grandmother resorts to typing up her life story while his grandfather spends his days out collecting literature for her.

Oskar's grandfather grows frustrated when his wife confesses that her "eyes are crummy," which is why she struggled to type up her story. He wonders if she had ever been able to see and read all the notes he had written to her in his daybooks and all the magazines and newspapers he had brought home.

Oskar's grandfather makes several references to a woman named Anna (the same one referenced by Oskar's grandmother in chapter 4) who he "would give everything never to think about...again." They met when he was fifteen and she was seventeen, the result of their fathers being friends. In the midst of World War II, he was falling in love with Anna despite "everything" getting worse. One day, Anna's father introduces Oskar's grandfather (whose name readers finally learn is Thomas) to a friend of his who was a sculptor. Thomas and Mr. Goldberg discuss the world and the war.

The most important part of the letter, however, comes in the form of an apology to Oskar's father. Thomas writes, "I'm sorry for what I'm about to do to your mother and to you. I'm sorry I'll never get to see your face, and feed you, and tell you bedtime stories." He realizes that in his own way, he has been writing his life story, too, just as his wife did. He believes that they have both written about nothing.

Analysis
There are two photos included in this chapter: one of a glass doorknob and keyhole, and one of a glass doorknob and a lock. Other stylistic inclusions are several pages left entirely blank and several pages which include the writing from Oskar's grandfather's journal; "do you know what time it is?" is included four times throughout the chapter. The blank pages represent what his grandfather saw when he looked at the hundreds of pages of his wife's life story.

Thomas also recounts his first sexual encounter with Anna. The description is interspersed with the conversation with Mr. Goldberg. Also figuring prominently in the tale are the books that resided in Anna's father's shed where they made love. Thomas clearly feels a tremendous amount of guilt about his brief relationship with Anna and regrets that he was unable to save her.

When Thomas leaves his wife and his unborn son, he knows that he is "about to destroy what she'd been able to rebuild." He seems to regret this as well, but the sentiment is clearly not the same as when he and Anna had to part ways.

In this letter, Thomas explains to his unborn son that "I'll never be your father, and you will always be my child." What is unclear is if Thomas is simply leaving or whether he is planning to commit suicide.