Holly calls Eliot early one morning to report that Claire has a severe headache and slurred speech, and that hospice has advised more medication. Holly and Michelle have been taking turns sleeping on Claire’s bedroom floor. When Eliot asks if he should visit, Holly’s hesitation irritates him. He cancels plans with John, bakes blueberry scones—Claire’s favorite—and buys a new basket and napkin to present them in.

When he arrives, Michelle opens the door looking annoyed. In the TV room, Claire and Holly are watching Stuart’s show. Eliot sits beside Claire and puts his arm around her, but she stiffens and pulls away. When she asks Holly to pause the show, he assumes she wants to talk, but Claire clarifies she only meant to wait until he left before resuming. He presents the scones; Claire asks about the basket, and Eliot lies, saying a friend brought him rolls in it. She eats a piece dutifully but pushes the basket away.

Feeling unwelcome, Eliot prepares to leave. He tries to engage them in conversation about the episode, mentioning that Stuart based it on an incident involving a dead raccoon. Holly and Claire burst out laughing—not at him, they insist, but at a recent memory of two raccoons noisily mating by the fence. The women continue giggling as Eliot leaves, feeling devastated.

Eliot waits for Abby and her family to arrive for what he knows will be their final visit with Claire. A week earlier, Claire had apologized for her coldness during the scone incident, explaining that Holly and Michelle felt Eliot did not trust them. She asked if the arrangement was still what he wanted; when he asked the same of her, she squeezed his hand in confirmation.

When Abby’s family arrives, the children run to Claire. On the deck, Abby tells Eliot she is shocked by how much sicker Claire looks. She mentions that Josh is worried Eliot is still angry with him, and she relays that a colleague compared Holly and Michelle to death doulas. When Abby asks about his evening plans, Eliot reveals he does not live at the house—not realizing he was expected to stay for the duration of the visit. Abby is shocked, as she had told him to avoid confusing the children. Holly and Michelle, when questioned, confirm they had known the plan all along.

Over the tiring weekend, the children are active and demanding. Abby worries her daughter is too bossy with her brother, echoing the dynamic between her and Josh as children, and Eliot comforts her. After the family leaves, Claire goes straight to bed, feeling that she is abandoning Abby by dying while Abby still needs a mother. Eliot assures her that Abby will be okay because of the mother Claire has already been.

Later, Eliot returns to Holly’s house after forgetting some items and enters quietly. He hears crying from the TV room and discovers Claire, Holly, and Michelle all weeping together. Unable to retrieve his things without revealing himself, he retreats.

Eliot attends his dinner club at Piotr’s apartment, bringing far more roasted chicken than necessary. Piotr has made an elaborate chocolate cake; his wife, Ksenia, briefly emerges from the bedroom to weigh in on the topic of Russian buttercream before retreating again.

After dinner, Eliot and John step outside, and Eliot confides in John about Claire’s request that he leave the house, her friends’ presence there, the difficult hike with Josh, and the confusing weekend with Abby’s family. When Eliot asks whether he is being passive or foolish, John reassures him that his actions demonstrate love for Claire and a commitment to honoring her dying wish.

Back at Holly’s house, Eliot reflects on the evening. He recalls Claire once asking how it felt to have friends without her, and how his answer caused her to withdraw. He resolves to believe that the reason for Claire’s wish does not matter—it is simply her dying wish.

A hospice nurse named Laurie calls with a prognosis of three to six months—the same estimate given over two months ago, which confuses Eliot given a more recent, shorter estimate from another nurse. When Laurie tries to sympathize about his situation, Eliot makes a dark joke comparing Claire’s decision to Sophie’s Choice (1979). Laurie tells him that dying requires significant help and there is work for him to do. Irritated, Eliot ends the call.

He strips down and swims in the pond at Holly’s house, feeling utterly alone. On impulse, he enters Holly’s bedroom and snoops through her things, finding a vibrator and an erotic novel. He reflects on Holly’s loneliness and recalls Claire once suggesting that he and Holly should get together after her death. He takes the novel to his room and masturbates.

Later, he drives to his house. Michelle, returning from a run, tells him Claire is asleep. Inside, he retrieves some clothing and attempts a friendly conversation with Holly and Michelle in the kitchen. They confirm that Claire is sicker—more tired, coughing constantly, and in pain—and note that another nurse recently gave a prognosis of one to three months.

Eliot asks if Claire ever wishes he would visit more. After some hesitation, Holly reveals that Claire finds his visits frequent enough, perhaps even slightly too much. His tendency to drop by unexpectedly prevents the different experience Claire wanted. Holly explains that Claire sometimes feels on the verge of an important emotional realization, but when Eliot arrives, it interrupts her and keeps that feeling away.