They wake up to the first snow of the season on the day Rita leaves for home. Rita is going home because her Mennonite church is going to decide if Rita should return to her own family, or stay with Dorcas's family forever, and they want Rita to have a say in the decision. What the HECK?

They drive Rita to Richmond, and part from her after praying that it will be God's will for her to return to their family.

On the way home, Dorcas has sad thoughts. She wonders if Rita will be distracted by the "liberties" of her old life and will be able to "survive spiritually" back in Minnesota, or will she slip back into her old ways? I literally exploded laughing reading this part.

They get home and the family Labrador, Prince, has gone missing. I never mentioned him because he wasn't allowed in the house and anyway there was too much crazy going on. They are afraid the traveling tool salesman, who always took an interest in Prince, stole him. I really don't think there were traveling tool salesmen in 2004. They search for Prince for several days until Father says they're going to have to give up.

Philip laments that he spent so much time training Prince only for him to be gone. The situation parallels with Rita in Dorcas's mind. Mother and Father spent so much time training Rita, and now she is gone, too.

Then Dorcas finds out the male teacher she liked way back at the beginning is getting married. Not only that, but he's marrying her FRIEND. Lots of things are going wrong for Dorcas.

Friends come by and talk about Rita, and how she's proof that God still works miracles.

Meanwhile, Dorcas is literally so consumed with guilt over the realization that she did, indeed, like that teacher deep in her heart, she literally can't get out of bed. Her mother gently drags the truth out of her, and encourages her to ask God for forgiveness. She says Dorcas can learn from this experience.

Later she shares it with Father, too, and asks for his forgiveness for liking a boy. It's literally treated like an enormous deal. I mean the guy is only three years older than her so it's not like she was chasing some creepy 40-year-old man.

They get a letter from Rita, who says she's still waiting to hear what the church will decide what to do with her. Meanwhile, she says it's depressing to be around her mother, who is sad and sinful. They all pray that Rita can return.

Then they get the news that the church has decided that Rita should return to Dorcas's family, and the boys should return to the uncle. Partially because the mom is getting remarried and also partially because the mom wanted it that way. What the heck. They all rejoice.

As soon as they get this happy news, Prince returns, because this is apparently a Disney movie now. They even let him in the house, and say it's like Lassie Come Home. How do they know about Lassie? A Mennonite didn't invent Lassie??

Rita comes back, and Philip remarks it's obvious Rita is home now, because the rooster plates are upside down again. I want to punch him in the face.

The end.