One of the Girls

Fen tells Bella she’s going for a hike, forgetting that she invited Robyn. Robyn joins moments later, and she and Fen head out to hike up the hillside. Along the way, the sun starts to rise. They discuss Bella and joke about her horrible singing, then talk about their jobs. Fen is a fitness trainer and explains that she experienced some health challenges a few years ago that led her to want to help others. Robyn admires Fen’s choice, and Fen invites her to come to her fitness studio some time. Robyn smiles and agrees, just as the sun rises over the hill.

Close friendships involve the sharing of secrets. Friendship can be like a medicine, improving one’s life and even one’s brain chemistry; however, for some people, medicines can be poisonous.

Bella is floating in the pool, perfectly manicured and relaxed, when Lexi jumps in and causes Bella to fall into the water. They begin laughing and playing together, just as they did when they were children, and Bella feels like she couldn’t ask for anything more. When Bella learns that Robyn and Fen went hiking together, she searches the horizon but can’t see them anywhere. While the others take a trip into town, Bella waits behind for Fen to get back, hoping to work things out.

Robyn is enjoying her time with Fen and doesn’t want it to end, so when Fen suggests taking the dangerous hike down to the water for a swim, Robyn agrees. She’s nervous all the way down, but makes it, and watches amazed as Fen strips down and dives into the water. Robyn stands still for a moment, urging herself to follow Fen’s lead, and finally finds the courage to do so. She dives into the water, enjoying a moment of just being herself. Robyn looks over at Fen and admires her steadfastness. After the swim, she can’t help but notice Fen’s beauty as the water reflects off of her. The two women climb back up the hill and suddenly hear a scream.

Bella screams in pain after being stung by a scorpion between her toes. She knows she’s about to be dealing with a swollen foot and even more pain. Lexi and the others swarm around Bella, trying to help her, and then Fen and Robyn arrive on the scene. Bella’s focus immediately shifts to jealousy at the fact that they were gone so long together, and she asks Fen to come back to her room with her. There, Bella tries to express her fear of Fen pulling away, but ends up insulting Robyn instead, calling her “boring” and asking Fen why she would want to hang out with her. Fen looks at Bella with disappointment and leaves.

Both Robyn and Lexi overheard the conversation and Bella’s comments about Robyn. Robyn paces around, upset and hurt, while Lexi tries to excuse Bella’s actions as being due to stress. Robyn admits that she does feel boring, because her life is spent taking care of her son, working, and watching television. She confesses that she needs new experiences and new people in her life, but also that she misses the friendship that she, Bella, and Lexi used to have. Lexi admits that she misses it too, and they’re both glad to have this opportunity to mend that bond.

Ana and Eleanor explore the town and come upon a stall selling purses and satchels. Ana encourages Eleanor to buy a bag she likes and treat herself, realizing while they’re together that she quite enjoys Eleanor’s company. Ana gets a message from her sister back home, telling her that her son has been distant and moody since being suspended. Ana feels comfortable confessing this to Eleanor, who empathizes with her. Ana mentions Eleanor’s habit of wearing thermal leggings under her overalls in the winter. Eleanor wonders how Ana knows this, and Ana plays it off as a good guess, but in truth she remembers reading it in an article about Eleanor a couple years before. Ana still has the article stashed away at home.

Bella sits at the table while everyone eats, feeling frustrated that the night’s events have been so dull and envious that Fen seems so at ease. When Bella tries to praise Eleanor’s cooking, Eleanor rejects the compliment, making Bella feel worse. She decides to change the mood by announcing a drinking game, despite Lexi’s insistence on not drinking. While in the kitchen preparing the shots, Bella hears the others laughing and tries not to cry.

Bella brings out 10 shots and begins asking Lexi questions to see how well she and her husband know each other. The questions are humiliating, involving things like Lexi’s sex life and Ed’s thoughts about her past relationships, and Lexi gets increasingly irritated. When Bella does get Lexi to take a shot, she spits it out, and then Bella tries to have her take two more. The others sit around the table in silence, not knowing what to say or do. Bella finally figures out that Lexi must be pregnant.

Bella stands in shock as Lexi admits she is 11 weeks pregnant. Bella is hurt that Lexi didn’t tell her sooner, but her concerns run deeper than she admits. While the others congratulate Lexi, Bella can’t manage to do the same, and Lexi leaves to go to bed. After clearing the table, Bella has a chance to apologize to Robyn for the “boring” comment, and Robyn reluctantly forgives her. Bella admits that she doesn’t trust Ed, but doesn’t admit that it’s because she saw the way a sex worker at a bar not only knew Ed but seemed to dislike him. Ed noticed the interaction between the two women and approached Bella afterward, hinting that he would reveal her darkest secret if she revealed his.

Lexi sits in her bedroom, frustrated about Bella’s actions and unsure how to feel about herself, her pregnancy, and her life. She remembers calling Robyn the day she found out about the pregnancy; Lexi was panicked, and Robyn listened as Lexi came to the conclusion that she wanted to keep the baby. Still, something plagues Lexi in the back of her mind, and she isn’t sure exactly what it is.

Robyn comes in to check on Lexi and talk her through her emotions, and together they realize that Lexi’s reaction might be influenced by her own mother’s admission of regret at having had her. Lexi calms down, and Bella comes in to apologize, turning the conversation on herself, crying, and calling herself a horrible friend. Lexi forgives Bella, and Bella admits that she is happy for Lexi but always thought they would stay single and child-free forever. She puts her hand on Lexi’s stomach, trying to embrace the change.

Eleanor sits on the terrace alone finishing her wine. She debates opening another or retrieving her gin from her luggage. Ever since Sam died, Eleanor drinks daily, often beginning first thing in the morning. She hasn’t reached out to anyone for support, and she carries this burden alone. When Ana comes out with one last drink for the night, Eleanor happily obliges. Ana asks Eleanor how she feels about being an aunt, and Eleanor says she’s pleased, but underneath, she has the same reservations that Bella and Lexi have. Eleanor recalls her brother ruining one of her toys as a child and then coldly blaming her for it. Changing the subject, she admits to Ana that he doesn’t think she should still be grieving the death of her fiancé. Ana retorts that Eleanor has the right to grieve the person she planned to spend her life with, and Eleanor feels empowered and validated but also a little vengeful—though it is not yet revealed that Bella, who was responsible for Ed’s accidental death, is the target of Eleanor’s vengeful feelings.