R finally reveals what he’s been hiding—that he, just like the narrator’s mother, is not affected by the disappearances. He remembers everything. This means that he is in danger, but it also means that he has something in common with the narrator’s mother, which the narrator appreciates. It’s sad that the narrator can’t smell perfume, even though her mother’s story about perfume was one of the narrator’s favorites, but it’s important that R knew what it was and identified it.