December comes around, and Minny continually reminds Miss Celia that she agreed to tell Johnny about hiring Minny by Christmas Eve. All Minny can think about is whether she will still have a job on Christmas. It turns out it was only the meter man who came to the house a few weeks ago when Minny thought it was Mister Johnny and hid in the bathroom.

Louvenia’s grandson, Robert, was released from hospital. Because of the beating he endured, he’s blind. Louvenia says he wakes up screaming, remembering his blindness afresh. Meanwhile, cooking lessons with Celia aren’t going well; she still can’t cook even the simplest things, and Minny feels frustrated that her cooking is passed off as Celia’s. Celia constantly calls the society ladies, but no one ever calls her back. Minny knows it’s because Mister Jonny broke up with Hilly for Miss Celia, so Hilly has made Celia an outcast, instructing all of the other ladies to shun her.

Minny and Aibileen meet early for church on Wednesday night, and Aibileen tells Minny that Skeeter wants to interview them and write a book about working for white people. Aibileen doesn’t say she’s already agreed to help, but frames the discussion instead as a crazy, dangerous idea, and Minny agrees.