The act continues with the Stage Manager how quickly time passes and how he likes to see how relationships, such as Emily's and George's, first began. He wants to look at the day when they first knew they were in love, so he decides to go back to a day in June two years ago when George had been elected President of the Junior class and Emily was elected the Secretary and Treasurer. They are walking home from school when George offers to carry Emily's books for her. He asks Emily why she is mad at him. She decides to be honest, and explains that she feels that he has been spending too much time playing baseball and not paying attention to his other friends. She tells him that people think he's become stuck-up and conceited, which hurts her to hear even though she tends to agree with them.

     George appreciates her honesty and plans to work on this personality fault. They each admit they are not perfect no matter how hard they try. Emily begins crying as she feels bad about insulting George. George offers to buy Emily an ice cream soda before they go home, so they step into Morgan's drugstore where the Stage Manager plays the role of Mr. Morgan. George orders them each a strawberry ice cream soda. While the Stage Manager gets their drinks, he explains that the first automobiles are just beginning to appear on Main Street. Then he delivers their drinks and leaves them alone.

     Emily tells George that it's too much money, but he insists that they are celebrating their election victories. Then George asks Emily for a favor. He wants to know if she will write him letters while he's away at State Agriculture College. She promises that she will even though she likely won't have much of importance to say. George assures her that he will always be interested in what is going on in Grover's Corners. George adds that his Uncle Luke doesn't think he needs to go to college. He believes that George can learn everything he needs to know from the pamphlets that the government sends out. He starts to reconsider his decision to go away to college. George explains that he appreciates Emily's honesty, but even though she thought he wasn't paying attention to other people, he was always noticing her. In fact, he'd been trying to walk her home for the past three days, but something kept getting in his way. George tells Emily that he feels that once two people find each other that clearly have a connection that developing that relationship is more important than college. Emily says that she will always be there for George, and George realizes what an important conversation they have just had. George then goes up to Mr. Morgan and tells him that he didn't bring any money, but he promises to pay him as soon as he runs home to get it. He even offers his gold watch as collateral. Mr. Morgan says he trusts him to pay it sometime in the next ten years. George then walks Emily home.

     The Stage Manager then returns to the wedding day where he takes on the role of the minister. Mrs. Webb is crying on her way to her place in the front row thinking about how Emily was crying this morning. Mrs. Webb is ashamed that she's sending her daughter off to be a wife with no preparation. Three baseball players stand next to the minister as George's groomsmen. George seems to be having second thoughts about the wedding, so his mother runs over to him. He tells her he doesn't want to grow old, and he's afraid. His mom tries to shake some sense into him and finally George seems to get over his fear when he tells his mom to cheer up because he's getting married. Emily has a similar conversation with her father before she walks down the aisle. She tells him she just wants things to stay the way they are, so Mr. Webb grabs George. George assures Mr. Webb that he will take good care of Emily, which comforts her. The Stage Manager then performs the vows and announces the end of the second act, dismissing the audience to intermission.