Ending Explained:
After Ryan’s death, Ella assumes Chaos died too when the letters suddenly stop. Months later, Beckett shows up at her B&B with his military dog, Havoc. We as readers know Beckett is Chaos, but Ella doesn’t. Over time, he becomes part of her family, even adopting the twins. When the military investigates Maisie’s treatments, Beckett is forced to admit who he really is. But that wasn’t his only secret. Towards the end, all of it comes out — including the fact that, while deployed, he had accidentally killed a child. It’s the kind of guilt that defined him, shaped every choice, and haunted his relationship with Ella.
Eventually, Ella forgives him, Maisie goes into remission, and their life feels like it’s finally on steady ground. But then tragedy strikes: during a school field trip, Colt falls from a cliff. Beckett rushes in with Havoc as part of the rescue team, but Colt’s injuries are too severe. In his final moments, Beckett tells him he’s his dad, and Colt says to tell Maisie and Ella he loves them. The story closes with bittersweet closure — Maisie grows up cancer-free and becomes best friends with the little girl Colt had saved that day, Ella and Beckett build a life together, and Colt is buried beside Ryan.
Spoiler Discussion:
This book really put me through it. I was bracing myself for heartbreak after Ryan’s death, but when Beckett’s full truth finally came out, I had to sit with it. He wasn’t just Chaos. He wasn’t just a soldier with a hidden identity. He was a man carrying unbearable guilt — the kind of guilt that makes you question if you even deserve kids. That secret about killing a child during his deployment was brutal to read. It explained why he held himself back, why he didn’t believe he was worthy of Ella and the kids. It broke me and made me love him more at the same time.
And then Colt. I don’t think I’ll ever recover from that chapter. Beckett telling him he was his dad in those final moments, and Colt being Colt — strong, brave, selfless — telling Beckett to tell Maisie and Ella he loved them? I cried so hard I had to put the book down. Colt was the steady twin, the protector, the heart of the family. Losing him felt like losing a part of the story itself.
I get that the author wanted to show resilience and love in the face of unimaginable loss. And sure, the ending gives us hope: Maisie’s remission, Ella and Beckett’s future children, Colt buried with Ryan and Ella getting that conversation closure. But for me, the pain overshadowed the light. It left me asking, what was the point of taking Colt away? Did it make the book more powerful? Or just more devastating?
Either way, this book is going to sit with me for a long time. It’s beautiful, heartbreaking, and frustrating all at once. One of the best and worst books I’ve ever read.
So tell me — how did Beckett’s final confession hit you? Did Colt’s death ruin the book for you, or did it somehow make the story stronger? Let’s talk about it. 👇
👉 Looking for my overall thoughts without spoilers? Read my non-spoiler review of The Last Letter here.