The Next Person You Meet in Heaven

In the novel’s climax, Annie meets Paulo, the love of her life, in heaven. Annie feels a wave of mixed emotions upon seeing Paulo, as she is both grateful to be near him and distraught to think that she was not able to save him: “Don’t touch me! Don’t be here! You had to live! You had to live!” (198). Seeing Paulo reminds Annie of every loss she has ever experienced: her father, her mother, her childhood, her son, and her hand. Despite the lessons just imparted by Eddie, she once again feels as if her mistake—her decision to go on a balloon ride with Paulo—was the reason for his death. Paulo explains that not only did Annie provide him with an unconditional love, but also gave him the gift of a minute of life he may not otherwise have had: “Thank you, Annie. For a minute, I got to breathe as you. It was amazing” (203). He recognizes Annie’s willingness to sacrifice herself for him, just as Eddie and Lorraine did for Annie. Paulo urges her to return to life, promising her that she is not yet ready to join him in the afterlife for good. This illustrates The Purpose of People, Suffering, and Life: Annie, for all the pain that she has been through, still has many more people to influence within her life.

Annie puts this lesson into practice once she is revived. When Annie goes back to Earth, she decides to visit Ruby Pier to complete a circle that began decades before. She meets a man who worked with Eddie, and when he asks Annie about her feelings toward Eddie’s sacrifice, she responds with the utmost gratitude for his act. She continues her work as a nurse, fulfilling the purpose that was laid out for her that day at Ruby Pier.

Before Annie goes back to Earth, Paulo performs a symbolic gesture that demonstrates Interwoven Human Connections and how, although connections often lead to suffering, there is a purpose behind it all: to make a person whole and to fill a life with meaning. He uses pipe cleaners, just as Eddie did at the pier, to make two hearts: one simple, one complex. The simple heart is a person’s heart at birth, while the messy heart is “the heart [they] die with. After the people [they] love. After all our losses” (203). It is stronger, bigger, and more beautiful than the first heart. This particularly builds on the lesson Annie learned from Cleo: the idea that all of her suffering has a deeper meaning, which may only be visible in hindsight. Even the lung transplant had a purpose, despite failing to save Paulo, as it filled Paulo’s last moments with happiness and love.

Paulo’s final lesson to Annie is about Death as Part of the Life Cycle. Paulo is at peace with his death, and encourages Annie to be, as well; now that she knows he is waiting for her in heaven, she can go through life with a grace and ease she never had before. He shows her that even Annie’s own death was not a mistake, as it was the only way for her to experience clarity about life. This is the lesson that Eddie taught Annie, but it is one she only fully understands once she is certain of Paulo’s fate.

Paulo is a symbol of acceptance and unconditional love in Annie’s life, as Paulo was always the person who viewed Annie’s hand as something which made her special, not worthless. Thus, his presence as the last of her five people symbolizes that Annie’s life ended—albeit temporarily—with love. Paulo allowed Annie to see that she was deserving of the life that she so desperately craved, even if she was only able to live it for one night. Annie returns to a world without Paulo in it, but she is left with a precious gift: a child, which she names Giovanna. The birth of her daughter provides a final piece of resolution: Annie knows that her son is safely in heaven with Eddie, and now she has the chance to raise, love, and protect a child on Earth. The novel closes on a scene of them both staring up at the stars, as Annie looks to her daughter’s future with optimism and faith.