The climax of the story comes near the end, after Rosalba speaks to Peppi's parents and persuades them to slightly loosen their grip on their son. She and the parents make a deal: "they would allow Peppi to come to school alone if he would use the wheelchair."

Afterwards, as she sits at her desk, the climax comes as Rosalba has the realization or epiphany that, like Peppi's parents, she is being too rigid in imposing Italian culture on her son. She thinks about her late husband and his ability to embrace both the old and the new.

Rosalba changes and becomes a different person as a result of being able to see her own flaw mirrored back to her by Peppi's parents, making her a dynamic character. She no longer wants to cling so tightly to her culture. Some of her fear of change fades away.

The falling action is positive, showing Rosalba enacting the change she knows she needs to make in her way of relating to Claudio. She speaks to him in English, something she was not willing to do before—but she also takes him on her lap and tells him stories about Italy. In a warm-hearted and loving way, she will allow her son to become part of two different cultures.