Future Ted narrates to his children about the journey to becoming the man ready to meet their mother, beyond the simple tale of a yellow umbrella.
Ted, with Barney's help, aims to outdo Robin by dating someone impressive, ending up with Amy, a tattooed girl played by Mandy Moore.
Ted, focusing on Amy, impulsively gets a tattoo, leading to a humorous revelation the next morning of a butterfly tattoo on his lower back, shared with Barney, Lily, and Marshall.
Ted confronts Robin, feeling outpaced in their breakup, but learns Robin struggled with their split, soothing his ego with a peculiar reassurance about his physical attributes, leading Ted to claim victory over the breakup.
The episode closes with Barney anxiously anticipating the next slap from Marshall, as part of their ongoing Slap Bet, marking a countdown to an inevitable comedic moment.