Celebrating Rita’s win at the Miss Postal Delivery pageant, Oliver, Norman, and Shane decorate the DLO with balloons and streamers. As Rita walks in the team bursts into song and cheers. Rita gushes but insists that she’s still the same person and doesn’t want to be treated differently. And to prove her point, she presents the team with a big dusty box full of lost letters. Given her recent accomplishment, Oliver deems it only fitting that Rita chose the first letter. As luck would have it, Rita selects a “NIFTS” letter. With only two words on the letter, it’s clearly a personal note that was Never Meant For The System, “NIFTS.” The letter reads:

“Dear Pastor Thomas,
You don’t know me but I’ve heard you’re a good man. And that’s why I’m asking for your help. I don’t know what else to do. My Sweet Joshua has a heart condition and needs medical care I can’t give him. “Please, Pastor Thomas, get him the help he needs so he can have a hope and a future. And tell him how much I love him. I can only pray that one day he will be able to find it in his heart to forgive me for what I’ve done.”

Written on a shelter bulletin, the unsigned letter captivates the team so much that they don’t notice Norman walk away. As they discuss possible scenarios for the abandoned Joshua, Norman offers a detailed explanation of the adoption process. Puzzled, Shane asks why he knows so much about adoption. It’s then that Norman reveals he was adopted at age 8. At 16, his adoptive parents convinced him to sign up on the National Adoption Registry and a year ago he received a letter from a family member. Unsure if he was ready to read it, Norman only now musters the courage to read the letter. It turns out the letter is from a very eager Ms. Ardis Parker-Pennington-Paine, Norman’s biological grandmother.

In the mean time, the DLO team locates the shelter where the lost letter originated. The current pastor vividly remembers that night 30 years ago when, as a child, he stumbled across the letter and baby Joshua. The pastor says that eventually Joshua was taken by child services and also had his heart condition treated. After being taken in by a local adoption agency, Joshua’s whereabouts became a mystery. The pastor is able to provide the team with a card from the adoption agency. Later, the lawyer for the agency agreed to contact Joshua, but stipulated that any further contact would be up to Joshua.

At Mailbox Grille, the team eagerly awaits the arrival of Norman’s grandmother Ardis. As the doors burst open, an elegant woman makes her entrance. The vision of Ardis Parker-Pennington-Paine captivates all of the Postables. Ardis immediately heads for Oliver and begins to comment on his stunning good looks. Slightly uncomfortable, Oliver politely directs Ardis toward Norman, and the two share a long overdue embrace. Shortly after, Shane gets an email from Joshua requesting a meeting for the following day. Overcome by a sense of accomplishment, Oliver remarks, “We’re bringing families together right and left this week!

Fresh with encouragement from his grandma, Norman presents Rita with a gift he’d had tucked away. The gift, an “unsquashable” stuffed crab, is a unique reminder of Norman’s unwavering faith in her. At the same time, Oliver and Shane return, slightly down, from their meeting with Joshua. As they talk about the meeting, Rita catches a glimpse of his picture and immediately recognizes him as a state championship winning soccer coach. It turns out that Joshua is actually a twin and Rita’s photographic memory just gave new life to the investigation. When Oliver and Shane meet Joshua’s twin brother Matt, they learn that he still lives with his birth mother. The news of his twin hits Matt hard while his mother struggles to explain her situation. Oliver does his best to comfort mother by telling her that Joshua’s heart condition was been treated and that he is very successful.

Back at the Mailbox Grill, Ardis, Rita, and Shane sit and talk over a cup of coffee. As they talk, Ardis suffers what appears to be a heart attack. She is rushed to the hospital where the entire DLO team gathers. While she will need surgery, as luck would have it, her surgeon is none other than Joshua. Somehow, before the successful surgery, Ardis managed to make a few choice phone calls. One call, to Joshua’s twin Matt, convinces him to show up at the hospital. As Matt talks to a nurse his eyes glance past the DLO team and onto his twin brother. The two immediately know who the other is. The two men sit together and begin to make up for lost time. As they talk, their mother, who also received a call from Ardis, shows up at the hospital. She slowly walks toward her sons, happy that they have been able to meet. Joshua stands up, walks toward her, and stammers, before falling into her arms and sharing a long awaited embrace.

While Joshua has found it in his heart to forgive his mother, Oliver must now confront his feeling towards his wayward wife. While trapped in the bank vault with Shane, Oliver began to compose a letter to his wife Holly. Earlier, while looking for a pair of tweezers in Oliver’s desk, Shane stumbled upon the unsent letter. Shane assures Oliver that she didn’t read the letter, but she can’t hide her feelings about the situation and about him. Unsure if the letter is begging Holly to come home, or if it will signal the end of their marriage, Shane challenges Oliver to conquer his fear and mail the letter. So, standing in the pouring rain, Oliver makes his choice and drops the letter into the mailbox.
The Postable’s sense of satisfaction is short lived. When Oliver and Shane meet Joshua he says the letter means nothing and that his mother isn’t the woman who threw him away. Meanwhile, Norman and Ardis enjoy some long overdue quality time while touring a local cave. During the tour, Ardis reveals that Norman’s mother tragically died two years before. Later, during lunch, Norman talks about his feelings for Rita. Ardis encourages him to live life without regrets and tell Rita how he feels.

Fresh with encouragement from his grandma, Norman presents Rita with a gift he’d had tucked away. The gift, an “unsquashable” stuffed crab, is a unique reminder of Norman’s unwavering faith in her. At the same time, Oliver and Shane return, slightly down, from their meeting with Joshua. As they talk about the meeting, Rita catches a glimpse of his picture and immediately recognizes him as a state championship winning soccer coach. It turns out that Joshua is actually a twin and Rita’s photographic memory just gave new life to the investigation. When Oliver and Shane meet Joshua’s twin brother Matt, they learn that he still lives with his birth mother. The news of his twin hits Matt hard while his mother struggles to explain her situation. Oliver does his best to comfort mother by telling her that Joshua’s heart condition was been treated and that he is very successful.

Back at the Mailbox Grill, Ardis, Rita, and Shane sit and talk over a cup of coffee. As they talk, Ardis suffers what appears to be a heart attack. She is rushed to the hospital where the entire DLO team gathers. While she will need surgery, as luck would have it, her surgeon is none other than Joshua. Somehow, before the successful surgery, Ardis managed to make a few choice phone calls. One call, to Joshua’s twin Matt, convinces him to show up at the hospital. As Matt talks to a nurse his eyes glance past the DLO team and onto his twin brother. The two immediately know who the other is. The two men sit together and begin to make up for lost time. As they talk, their mother, who also received a call from Ardis, shows up at the hospital. She slowly walks toward her sons, happy that they have been able to meet. Joshua stands up, walks toward her, and stammers, before falling into her arms and sharing a long awaited embrace.

While Joshua has found it in his heart to forgive his mother, Oliver must now confront his feeling towards his wayward wife. While trapped in the bank vault with Shane, Oliver began to compose a letter to his wife Holly. Earlier, while looking for a pair of tweezers in Oliver’s desk, Shane stumbled upon the unsent letter. Shane assures Oliver that she didn’t read the letter, but she can’t hide her feelings about the situation and about him. Unsure if the letter is begging Holly to come home, or if it will signal the end of their marriage, Shane challenges Oliver to conquer his fear and mail the letter. So, standing in the pouring rain, Oliver makes his choice and drops the letter into the mailbox.

A loud screech rips through the post office as the voice of the new Branch supervisor, Glynis Rucker, echoes though the PA system. Ears still ringing from Glynis’ announcement, the DLO team is hardly ready for the arrival of the perky carrier, Kimmi Cooper. Kimmi picked up an undeliverable letter on her route and decided to personally deliver it to the DLO office. Kimmi is also keenly interested in meeting Rita, her rival for the title of Miss Special Delivery. Shane quickly realizes Kimmi’s ulterior motives and moves quickly to shoo her out of the DLO office.

In the meantime, Oliver is turning over a new leaf after his emotional confrontation with Shane. After spending a night house cleaning, he’s unable to stop throwing away items from his past. That also includes the bin of lost letters from Paris, which he had been clinging to in hope that one letter would be from his wife. He attempts to reassure the team that he’s fine saying, “Loss is nothing else but change, and change is Nature’s delight. I stand before you, delighted.” Rita and Norman are not convinced, but the team is content to move forward and investigate the letter Kimmi dropped off.

The letter was found in the drawer of an old school desk. The delivery address was torn away and the forever stamp on the envelope means the letter could have been written yesterday or 7 years ago. Upon closer inspection, it appears that a young female wrote:

“Dear Mrs. Richards, Do you remember me? I hope so. My favorite color is purple. I hate math (it makes my head hurt). And I love stars. But more than anything, I looove flowers. Please tell me that you love flowers, too. I will be very sad if you don’t. But you know that, so why am I telling you? You were a beautiful bride. I know that’s true because your dad told me you were the most beautiful bride he had ever seen. Even Bobby said that the flowers in your hair made you look like an angel. You’re so lucky to have Bobby. He is sooooo handsome. I’ll bet all your friends are jealous. Remember to be nice to Bobby. Don’t be bossy. He just wants to take care of you. And try to get along with everyone, even when they say stupid, mean things. Just be happy. Oh…and I hope you’re dancing under the stars with flowers falling down. Because when I close my eyes, that’s how I see you.

Love,
Ellie”

After confirming the address of the furniture shop where the letter was found, Norman heads to the store for his first ever solo investigation. His absence gives Shane an opportunity to press Oliver about the distance that’s arisen between them. Oliver insists that nothing’s changed, but as Shane moves to brush a crumb from his shoulder, he reflexively pulls away. Fortunately, Rita walks in at that very moment, offering a much-needed break from the awkward situation. And as luck would have it, Shane has some important information for Rita.

Shane has learned that Kimmi Cooper is a “branch hopper,” someone who moves from branch to branch in a quest to become Miss Special Delivery. This information brings out the fighter in Shane, who is now determined to make sure Rita represents the branch in the pageant. But, as she talks with Rita, she learns that there may be a bigger problem ahead. The other contestant is the daughter of the new branch supervisor, Glynis Rucker. Glynis is a hardnosed supervisor who runs a VERY tight ship. And her daughter, Vivinee, has been dreaming of becoming Miss Special Delivery since she was a kid. What’s more, Glynis has it quite clear that she’ll squash anyone who gets in her way!

Back on the trail of the investigation, Shane and Oliver track Bobby Richards to a local flower shop. Bobby, who has Down syndrome, immediately recognizes the handwriting as that of his co-worker and girlfriend, Ellie. Bobby calls Ellie from the back of the shop for an explanation. Embarrassed, Ellie, who also has Down syndrome, explains that the letter was written to her future self as part of an assignment in high school. Ellie re-reads the letter, laughing and enjoying the walk down memory lane. She says she’s dreamed of marrying Bobby since they were teenagers and as soon as her parents give the ok, she will. As Ellie comes to the end of the letter her mood turns angry and she demands to go home. When Ellie gets home it becomes clear why she hasn’t gotten married. Ellie immediately confronts her father, revealing the deep-seated tension between a young woman wanting to be free and her father who won’t let go.

After what’s clearly been a long day. Shane joins Rita for a drink. At the bar, they discuss strategy for the Miss Special Delivery Pageant. As they discuss Rita’s talent, her flawless memorization of the 2014 Postal Handbook, Glynis Rucker shows up. Vivinee is also at the bar and is giving a show stopping singing performance. Seeing the competition up close, Shane decides they need to take drastic action. So with makeover on her mind, Shane gives Rita a sexy new look. Her new look leaves Norman and Oliver speechless! But the team quickly pulls themselves together when Ellie’s father shows up looking for details from the letter. Ellie and Bobby ran away to get married and the families are desperate to find them.

As it turns out, the wedding Ellie pictured in her letter was an exact description of her parents’ wedding. After a day of frantic searching, Ellie and Billy are finally found and while they did get their marriage license, they didn’t fill out a date. The couple refuses to get married until Ellie’s father gives his support. But unable to let go, Ellie’s father refuses to concede. Ellie storms off giving Billy the opportunity to confront Ellie’s father. Billy challenges Ellie’s father to confront his misconceptions about his daughter. Seeing that he, and not her disability, is responsible for holding Ellie back, he finally yields. In the same barn her parents were married, Ellie and her father walk down the isle. The spirit of the occasion also puts a crack in wall between Oliver and Shane. As the wedding winds down, Oliver asks Shane if she remembers the steps from their ill-fated dance. Shane says that they can give it a try. She takes Oliver’s hand, and the two dance together under the stars.

As luck would have it, the stage is also set for the finals of the Miss Special Delivery pageant. Norman, Oliver, and Shane anxiously wait for Rita to appear. When she does, they are shocked to see the plain old Rita and not her new sexy persona. Rita explains that she wants the judges to see the real Rita. But before she heads to the stage, Norman gives Rita one tip…to be like his favorite bug, the tree lobster. Its hard exoskeleton makes it virtually “unsquashable.” Despite Glynis’ threats to squash her, Rita stands “unsquashable” and proudly represents the DLO team in the Miss Special Delivery Pageant.