Scene two takes place six months later, which Troy says to Rose have been six months of her not speaking to him. Rose is questioning his commitment to their family and asking that Troy come straight home after work. Troy admits that he is planning to go to the hospital tomorrow after work to see Alberta. It seems as though she might be having the baby early. Rose tells Troy that she heard they went and hauled Gabe out of Miss Pearl's house to take him to an institution. She saw the papers that Troy signed giving them permission to do it. Troy adamantly denies allowing this to happen. She compares his decision to the way he hurt Cory too by not signing the paper allowing him to go to college. Troy continues to deny having signed anything as Rose goes inside to answer the phone. When she comes out, she tells Troy it was the hospital calling to let them know that Alberta died during childbirth, but the baby is fine. Troy becomes angry and once again speaks to death personified. He says he's going to build a fence to keep death out, and death is only allowed to come and take him away, no one else.

     In scene three Troy returns home three days later holding a newborn child. Troy humbly asks Rose to help him raise his daughter because she is innocent and motherless. Rose takes pity on the child and agrees to help take care of her, but she makes it clear that their relationship as husband and wife is over.

     Scene four, two months later, Lyons walks up, and Rose tells him to stop yelling or he will wake up baby Raynell. Lyons wants to give his father the twenty dollars that he owes him. Cory comes out, and Lyons apologizes for missing his graduation. Cory says it's fine and tells him he's struggling to find a job before Lyons leaves. Cory begins hitting the baseball hanging from the tree, but when he sees his father emerge from the house, he leaves. Rose exits heading to a bake sale at the church. Troy is singing the song about the old dog named Blue when Bono walks up. Bono says he never sees Troy anymore since he's been promoted. Bono mentions that he's thinking about retiring in the next couple years, and Troy admits he's been considering doing the same. He confesses that it's lonely driving the truck with nobody to talk to. Troy says he heard that Bono bought his wife a new refrigerator, and Bono confirms that he did because he found out that Troy had finally finished building his fence.

     Bono exits, and Troy is singing again when Cory approaches. Cory tries to step over Troy to get into the house, and Troy becomes mad that Cory didn't say excuse me. Cory informs his father that he doesn't count anymore, so Troy feels unappreciated and tells Cory that he must be a man now. Since he's a man, he can be responsible for himself. Then Troy kicks his son out. Cory argues that Troy never gave him anything, he only held him back. He says he's felt scared out of his father his whole life, and he knows his mother feels that way too. Troy pushes Cory and tells him to leave. Cory says Troy is crazy and he knows that he hurt Gabe too by putting him in the home. Troy advances on Cory, so Cory picks up a baseball bat. Cory swings and misses as his father backs him up against the tree. They struggle, and Troy wrestles the bat away. Cory leaves, and his dad tells him he come by to pick up his belongings later on the other side of the fence. Then once again Troy taunts death with the bat as the scene ends.