Hot Milk

Alexandra is a mainstream economist on leave from her job in Brussels. Before she had Evangeline, she would fly back to Christos on the weekends. Sofia compares herself to Alexandra, who is talking about the survival of the euro and the debt crisis across Europe. Sofia thinks about Ingrid and Juan, imagining walking with both of them, and she thinks the word “beloved” has more importance to her than “euro.” Sofia realizes Dan may have flirted with her and thinks about him sleeping in her room at the café.

Alexandra asks about Rose, and Sofia says she hopes Rose does not miss her. Sofia says Christos does whatever serves him, and Alexandra asks why Christos would do anything that is not to his advantage. Sofia wonders if she does things that are not to her advantage, and imagines Rose leaving when Sofia was five years old to live in Hong Kong.

Alexandra also does not do anything that is not to her advantage, and Sofia thinks about how Alexandra and Christos both have religion to guide them. Alexandra confides that it is difficult to be with an older man, noting how Christos has health issues and forgets things. Alexandra asks Sofia to take the bus back to the airport when she leaves, and Christos enters, saying he is glad they are getting along.

Sofia walks with Christos to his job at the shipping company he owns. She knows he cannot repay his debt to her. They run into one of Christos’s colleagues, George, whom Sofia thinks is attracted to her. Her outfit is revealing, and she thinks Christos thinks she is not upholding the family honor. They say disparaging things about each other to George, and Christos tells Sofia not to come into his office. She goes to a museum instead, and thinks about ancient Greece.

Alexandra reads Mansfield Park out loud, and Christos corrects her pronunciation. Sofia thinks their family is unstable and only united through God. She knows Christos had to leave her and Rose behind to start a new life.

Alexandra asks what the word on Sofia’s shirt means and thinks Sofia misread it. Sofia dreams of falling asleep with her hand on Ingrid’s breast on the beach, leaving a gap in Ingrid’s tan that Ingrid says will frighten her enemies.

Sofia goes to buy lamb for Alexandra’s moussaka, and she thinks about the rites ancient people used to comfort them when eating meat. Matthew texts Sofia saying that Rose needed to be rehydrated and that Gomez is a quack. Sofia calls Gomez to tell him that Rose will only drink the “right” water. Gomez is more interested in Rose’s problem with water than with walking.

Sofia cannot sleep, so she decides to sleep outside. Christos and Alexandra are there, and Sofia does not want to interrupt. Alexandra lights Christos’s cigar, which makes Sofia think about the submissive role of women in ancient Greece. Sofia wants someone to light a cigar for her. She remembers Ingrid thinking about snakes, stars, and cigars while embroidering, and she decides to take a bath. She reads the word on the shirt Ingrid made for her and realizes the word is not “beloved” but “beheaded.” Sofia imagined the word “beloved,” and she thinks about Ingrid cutting off the snake’s head.

Christos and Alexandra cuddle on the couch, and Sofia thinks about how Evangeline is beloved. Sofia asks to speak to Christos privately, which makes him untangle himself from Alexandra. Sofia says she wants to finish her doctorate in America, which requires funding and someone to care for Rose. Christos says it is not his problem and goes back to Alexandra on the couch to nap with her and Evangeline. Sofia is livid, and she wonders if Evangeline will make Christos less uncomfortable. Christos wants Sofia to see his family from his perspective, where everyone knows their place.

Sofia goes for a walk, and there is a package from Rose when she returns. Alexandra tells Sofia that Christos likes dill. The package is for Christos and contains Yorkshire tea, which Alexandra says Christos does not like. Christos offers to bring Sofia for Greek coffee. Sofia tells Alexandra where Yorkshire is.

At a café, Christos thanks Sofia for coming to Athens and meeting Evangeline. He gives her 10 euros as “spending money,” which Sofia gives to a woman asking for change. Christos folds a flower, and Sofia takes it. She thinks about the roles of men and women in families and reflects on keeping her father’s last name.

At home, Alexandra pretends to sleep, and Christos gets her a blanket. Sofia knows Alexandra is awake.

In the morning, Sofia packs to leave, and Christos is already gone for work. Sofia finds Alexandra on the balcony and asks about her family. Alexandra was adopted, and Sofia speculates that she married Christos for another childhood. Alexandra seems concerned: She offers to help Sofia learn Greek via email.

Sofia finds the paper flower Christos made in her luggage and thinks about how things did not work out to Rose’s advantage.

The other narrator looks forward to the Greek girl’s return to Spain and thinks about asking her to dig holes to plant olive trees.

Back in Almeria, Rose calls Sofia for water, and Sofia gives her a massage. While Sofia was away in Greece, Matthew brought Rose to a hospital, where the doctors prescribed a series of medications. Gomez does not want Rose to drive anymore, and Rose wishes she could keep Sofia’s hands when Sofia leaves.

Sofia and Ingrid go to a different beach. Sofia wears a satin dress that Ingrid embroidered for her. Ingrid tells Sofia it is better that Pablo’s dog drowned, but Sofia is not sure the dog is dead. Ingmar is sick because there was a gasoline spill at the beach, and he drank the water to try to prove it was clean. Ingrid tells Sofia how she pushed her younger sister off a swing as a child, causing her sister to have brain damage. Ingrid becomes sullen, walks off, and starts catching jellyfish in a net before dumping them on the beach.

Julieta calls Sofia over to a cave by the beach and tells her how her father hates medication, including alcohol. Julieta says it is a myth that urine helps jellyfish stings. Sofia returns to Ingrid, who wants to leave, and Sofia takes Ingrid’s phone. Ingrid chases Sofia and rips her dress, but Sofia throws the phone in the ocean. Ingrid pushes Sofia under the water and holds her there, but Julieta pulls Sofia onto the beach. Ingrid gets stung by the jellyfish she dumped in the sand. Sofia realizes Ingrid pushed her like she pushed her sister. Ingrid pees on her stings, but Sofia says it is a myth.

Ingrid invites Sofia to help plant olive trees. She asks Sofia if she thinks Hannah can still think and remember, and she asks if Sofia still likes her. Ingrid says everything will be dark until Sofia answers, but Sofia says nothing. Leonardo shows up and looks displeased to see Sofia. He gives Ingrid riding boots and a helmet, and Ingrid says one of the olive trees is for him. Sofia realizes Ingrid is running from the memory of what she did to Hannah, and she uses Leonardo to mask the desire she feels for Sofia. Sofia is a “monster” to Ingrid because she is frightened by her desire.