Gloria’s assessment that Nico isn’t a nice person wounds him deeply. In the middle of the night, he gets drunk on warm beer and cries while clutching his childhood stuffed animals.

The next morning, Nico finds his mother working behind her closed office door. When she emerges, she’s cold and distant, announces that she has an appointment without elaboration, and leaves. Shortly after, she schedules a trip to visit her sister, Lauren, in Phoenix, Arizona. Nico suspects that she’s avoiding him.

During Gloria’s absence, Domingo and Alonso also disappear, leaving Nico and Martine alone in the house. Nico reflects on two competing versions of Martine in his perception: One is innocent and plucky, and the other is scheming and dangerous. He wonders if he has made up the second one to satisfy his own fantasies. While they’re alone together, Martine drops her bubbly persona for a more sober one that Nico prefers. He finds himself physically attracted to her.

Over dinner, Martine proposes a surprise party for Gloria’s birthday. She reveals that she has access to Gloria’s email passwords and regularly clears her inbox and so could contact Gloria’s friends. Nico challenges Martine’s plan to serve only fried food at the party, pointing out that Gloria cares more about being thin than about cuisine. This unsettles Martine.

On their second night alone, Martine questions Nico about why he doesn’t have a girlfriend. After verbal sparring, she places her hand on his forearm. Nico initiates sex; Martine responds, and they have sex on the living-room rug. Nico finds that Martine is aggressive and strong. After they finish dinner and watch TV, Martine gets into bed with Nico. They agree not to tell Domingo or Gloria about their affair.

For the next five days, they act as a couple, shopping for groceries, walking in Prospect Park, watching Netflix, and having sex. Martine gives Nico several gifts, and he starts wearing the watch she previously gave him. Nico notices emails from a law firm in Gloria’s inbox but pays no attention. He fantasizes about a future with Martine and feels a sense of possibility for the first time in years.

The day before Gloria’s return, the mood between Martine and Nico becomes somber, but they avoid discussing their relationship. The next day, Palermo visits to finalize party plans. She goes to the basement to speak with Martine but returns quickly, looking disturbed: Domingo has returned. Gloria arrives home. Palermo leaves early, texting Nico to meet her at a local bar.

At the bar, Palermo tells Nico that she doesn’t believe Domingo is Martine’s brother. When Palermo went downstairs, she saw Martine and Domingo in a compromising position: Martine’s jeans were unzipped, and Domingo’s hand was down her pants. Palermo concludes that Domingo is Martine’s husband. Nico feels foolish and humiliated, realizing that he’s been “toyed with.” They agree to keep this discovery to themselves.

Nico shares his suspicions about the mugging and hedge-trimmer incident with Palermo. She considers his theories but ultimately dismisses them, rationalizing Martine’s lies as the desperate actions of a woman trying to secure a future for her family. Palermo concludes that Martine is a nice person. Her words remind Nico of his mother’s condemnation.

A few days later, Alonso has returned. At breakfast, he tells Nico a story about migrants in Chicago staging fake robberies to gain victim status for green cards. He finds it amusing when fake robberies go wrong, resulting in real deaths or migrants being shot by bystanders. He also laughs about Border Patrol agents dying by suicide due to depression.

Nico avoids Martine, tortured by thoughts of their affair. He stops wearing the watch and hides the other gifts under his bed. Martine’s demeanor toward him is completely normal, showing no sign of their intimacy, which convinces Nico that she’s deceitful. He works on a video montage for his mother’s birthday.

On Gloria’s 63rd birthday, Martine claims to feel unwell, excusing her from volunteering with Gloria and joining the family for the pre-party celebratory drink. Nico hangs the banner and sets up the TV. Vanessa arrives to help. The siblings take Gloria to an intentionally subpar bar to lower her expectations. Their plan backfires when Gloria insists on going home early; to prevent her from leaving, they reveal the surprise party. The family walks home together, rehearsing exaggerated surprised reactions.

As they arrive home, they hear loud punta music. Nico enters to find that the party has been hijacked. Domingo, Alonso, and four shirtless, heavily tattooed young men have taken over the house. The invited guests huddle together, terrified. The gatecrashers have ransacked the food and are drinking heavily. Nico confronts Martine in the kitchen. She claims that she didn’t invite the men and doesn’t know if they can be made to leave. When Gloria attempts to stop one man from smoking inside, he blows smoke in her face, insults her in Spanish, and extinguishes the cigarette on her rug. Nico pulls his mother away. The legitimate guests begin leaving. Palermo suggests calling the police, but Nico points out that they would likely only disperse the crowd temporarily. After the guests depart, Gloria refuses to leave her own house, telling her daughters that she has Nico to protect her.

After his sisters leave, Martine tells Nico to follow his mother upstairs and not leave her alone. Nico asks Martine what she has done. She places her hand on his, but he doesn’t understand what she means. Nico stays awake all night, on guard.

The next morning, loud punta music still plays. Nico finds the four new men passed out in the trashed living and dining rooms. He switches off the music and discovers that his laptop has been stolen. The men wake up and treat the house as their own, ignoring the Bonaventuras while Martine quietly cooks breakfast for them. One man takes Martine’s cash and buys more beer. Another goes upstairs to shower.

Nico sees the men’s luggage and realizes that they intend to stay. Martine confirms this and warns him in a harsh whisper not to be a hero or cross them but to let them take whatever they want. Alonso appears and cheerfully invites Nico to join them next time. Nico realizes that his family house is “under occupation.”