How did Brooklyn end?

***Few scenes before the ending, where she makes a call to make a reservation for Brooklyn is replaced with, she is just making a call, sobbing. We don’t know who though. ***

Taking place six months after Rose’s death, Ellis chose to stay in Cobh.

Tony writes to her, telling her about the Yankees miserable loss, and how he and his brothers went out celebrating with beer and hotdog again. Little Frankie seemed to be making progress on being more sympathetic towards the Irish, this bit makes Ellis laugh. Tony yearns to be with her in Cobh, might make a visit soon. Ellis trembles at this, she hasn’t told him yet, the scandalous gossip about her being a whore, that goes around the town. She even feels that her love for Tony is fading away. She is being pulled out of these thoughts by her co-worker, who seeks help in some financial report.

She now has Rose’s job, the job was offered to her the very next week, after Nelly Kelly unleashed her venomous gossip about Ellis being married to some Italian in Brooklyn, yet going out with the wealthy Jim Farrell for his money. The gossip spread like wildfire, Ellis’s mother was taken ill shortly afterwards, the doctor says it’s the same as Rose’s. Her mother doesn’t speak to her much, except, asking about her mail, Ellis replies to all of those letters on her behalf.

A few days later, the pain in her chest had made her irritable, she lashed out at Ellis,

Mrs Ronan isn’t friends with me anymore, she doesn’t write to me, neighbours are jolly with new gossip about you and Jim near the beach, my heart aches all the time… How long do I have to wait to die also? Ellis doesn’t answer to this, she is guilt-ridden beyond repair, the reason behind her mother’s nerves was the last thing she ever wanted. She didn’t know how to say this to her mother. She met Jim to ask forgiveness, to forgive her for bringing his name into those scandalous gossips, to forgive her for the hurt that she had thrown his way. Ellis felt light though, even smiling a little to herself, that Jim had forgiven her and had promised to stay friends.

Ellis’s complacence doesn’t last long, her mother didn’t trip the glass of water today. Ellis has slept way past eight, Sunday it was. She finds her mother’s mouth salivating all over her nightdress, eyes wide open towards the ceiling.

The parish doesn’t do any cremation on Sundays, Ellis sits with her mother’s coffin in the parlour, perfuming it occasionally till Monday morning. She doesn’t feel a thing.

She makes a reservation for Brooklyn right away after the mass, leaving Cobh like a moth. Tony was overjoyed to finally see his wife after months, though he was terribly sad about her mother. He has so much to say to her, all he manages is, I love you.

But I don’t! says Ellis