Paul returns from his hospital visit feeling energized and independent. He readies himself for the Chamber of Commerce ceremony, noting with irritation that he accidentally purchased a shirt with French cuffs. Having to borrow cufflinks from his father dampens his high spirits, but he does his best to remain calm. At the event, Leonard and Paul are distant. Leonard is upset because he invited Shelley and Patrick, but she thought that it was too soon for him to meet her son. Paul still feels the sting of having been canceled on by Leonard a few days prior. Still, Paul is excited. He ends up winning the contest with his entry: “You may wish to note the above” (152). The judges enjoyed that it did not add anything to the email and that it left the reader with options. Paul is presented with a £10,000 prize, via a large novelty check, and is asked to make a speech before the crowd. He panics and finds himself tongue-tied. A mime emceeing the event pretends to be looking at his watch, so the event’s director takes over and gives a short speech himself. Afterward, Paul and the mime chat, and then the family heads home.

Peter and Helen prepare to have Grace and Andrew over for dinner, so Paul helps by tidying. Grace and Andrew are late because they were arguing: Each feels pressure mounting as their wedding nears. They present a united front upon arrival, however, and the dinner is pleasant. Privately, Grace urges Paul to share some of his prize money with his parents, or at least to use it to get himself out of the house more. She points out that everyone is moving on with their lives except Paul. Paul is puzzled by Grace’s outburst but, being an accommodating person, decides to give her suggestion further thought.

Leonard is fired up by his new project. He writes his book about an ancient Roman boy with Shelley’s son in mind as a reader. Then, he sends his draft to the author of the previous book he worked on. Later, he gets together with Shelley to see an exhibition of bog bodies. They talk about the possibility of Leonard meeting Patrick, but Leonard can tell that he’s somehow mangled the conversation by saying that he wants to meet Patrick to be nice. Shelley meaningfully answers that he cannot meet Patrick unless their connection is serious enough that Leonard won’t end up walking out of Patrick’s life. After all, she adds, Leonard writes Patrick’s favorite books. The conversation fizzles out and Shelley sadly leaves. Leonard has no idea what has just transpired between them.

Leonard and Paul get together to play the board game Life. Paul can sense that something is wrong, so Leonard explains that he is unsure of what he said wrong to Shelley after she decided against attending Paul’s ceremony with her son. Now, the subsequent conversation about Patrick has led to what feels very much like the end of their burgeoning romance. Paul has few words of wisdom to offer. He shares with Leonard that the head of a local mime organization has offered him the position of being their new spokesman. He consults Leonard about what kinds of questions typically arise during job interviews.

Peter is long inured to public speaking after a career in economics that included multiple different roles, including teaching. Yet he feels that his father-of-the-bride speech must be perfect and that he should give it as much thought as possible. He knows that the father-of-the-bride speech is often one of the least controversial moments in a wedding, but he owes it to Grace to do his best. The two meet to discuss his ideas, but their talk turns to her suggestion that he and Helen travel and encourage Paul to become more independent. Peter knows that Grace is right about Paul, but he cautions her that her mother will need to be eased into the idea. He then tries to give Grace some wedding advice, noting that marriage changes a relationship in ways that can be unforeseen. He has always liked Andrew, but he privately feels that he is a safe choice rather than someone for whom Grace has real passion.

Paul attends his mime interview. This performance art is in a state of decline; part of his job would be to re-introduce the public to what they had once found so captivating about mimes. He and Arno, his interviewer, hash out the details: He will work three days per week, keep Mondays free for the post office, and not be required to carry a cell phone. On the way home, Paul contemplates his next course of action. At home, he decides not to share his job news. Then, an idea hits him: weekly sessions during which participants will be invited to sit in silence. Helping the public see the value of quiet will, he hopes, allow them to better appreciate miming.