Taking for granted the close yet removed relationship he has with Hanna, Michael does not consider the fact there will come a day when Hanna is released from prison. He knows that he is selfish in desiring their contact to continue in such a way indefinitely. But one day, he receives a letter from the prison warden saying that the following year Hanna’s plea for clemency will likely be granted and that he is her only connection to the outside world. The warden writes that life in the community can be difficult after such a long incarceration and asks that Michael assist Hanna in finding an apartment and a job and that he visit her after her release. Michael obliges by finding her a low-cost apartment attached to the home of a friend, and he secures a sewing job for her with his tailor. Michael even makes a list of the social services and community organizations nearby that can help Hanna adjust. But he puts off making an actual visit to the prison to see Hanna as per the warden’s request. A year passes, and the warden finally writes to ask Michael to come within the week.

Michael goes to the prison the following Sunday and upon his arrival, he is led by one of the guards into the courtyard where Hanna is sitting. Her hair now gray and her body heavy, Hanna notices that someone is watching her and she looks up, toward Michael. In her face, Michael sees excitement that quickly changes to hurt. He walks over and sits next to her, recalling how he used to love the way Hanna smelled, a freshly washed scent combined with the work of the day. But now Hanna smells like an old woman. Michael wishes to see Hanna happy again so he tells her he is glad that she will be released and that she will be living near him. Michael asks Hanna why she never told him about her past life and Hanna answers that no one ever understood her and that when someone does not understand another person, that person cannot be held in account. Hanna says that the dead know best and that the dead visited her often during her stay in prison. Inside, Michael knows that he had always reduced Hanna to a niche. Michael tells Hanna that he will pick her up the following week. The two embrace, but to Michael, Hanna does not feel right.

During the week before Hanna’s release, Michael busies himself working on a lecture and preparing Hanna’s apartment. While he hangs pictures, he is consumed by the memories of his and Hanna’s relationship and his betrayal of her at the swimming pool. And then he becomes angry that she feels that only the dead deserve an explanation; he feels that he is owed one as well. Michael calls the prison the day before Hanna’s release and the warden tells him that she is concerned because Hanna has refused to go outside. Michael speaks to Hanna and tells her to think about what she wants to do after he picks her up. She remarks that he is still a planner, and this slight at his lack of spontaneity irks Michael. Hanna senses his annoyance, and she laughs and tells him that she meant nothing by the comment. Michael notices that although her body has grown old, Hanna’s voice remains young.