Rabbit, overwhelmed by horror and guilt after his child's death, returns to Janice, convinced that he is to blame. He believes that if he hadn't left Janice, the tragedy would not have occurred. During the baby's funeral, Rabbit starts to feel that the child is now in heaven. This thought lifts his spirits, making him almost happy. However, Janice doesn't understand or share his newfound sense of peace and relief. He attempts to convey to her that he now sees both her and the baby as victims, but no one, including Janice, comprehends his perspective. At the burial, he abruptly leaves the graveyard, which is situated at the base of a mountain, and escapes into the forest covering its slopes. Feeling isolated and directionless, he eventually makes his way back to town and seeks out Ruth.

As the novel concludes, Rabbit is once again on the run—this time from Ruth—still feeling confined and searching for a new life, a path to freedom.