Back in Chicago, on her friend’s birthday, the friend’s husband and Holly arranged a party at a tavern in their old neighborhood. Holly set the tables with China, sterling flatware, crystal wine glasses. A florist, Holly made wrist corsages for the women.
The night of the party, the husband gets “lost” on the way to pick up friends, stops in front of the tavern and asks his wife to go in and call for directions to their friend’s house.
SURPRISE!
The party is a smashing success. The husband wants to thank Holly for all she did. On Saturday morning at her flower shop, a violinist knocks on the door, tells Holly he is hers for four hours. Come on in, she says, I have a wedding and a funeral to prepare.
The violinist stands in the corner of the shop near the windows and starts playing. People come in; soon a crowd gathers. The man who lost his wife comes in to make sure that the flowers for her funeral are just right. The violinist plays a waltz. The man who just lost his wife is an old friend and he and Holly start dancing. A few other people join the dancing and they move out onto the street. The crowd from the shop joins in and all morning there is laughter and dancing and violin music in the street, in all the neighborhood. The man who lost his wife cries and dances. Hugs all around.