Burden offers more facts about ospreys’ mating patterns and how they raise their young: When juvenile birds are old enough, they leave the nest and the island.

One night, after James left the Vineyard again, Carrie confronted Burden about James’s affair. The girl had already asked James about it, and he confirmed that he had cheated on Burden. Burden was upset because she and James had agreed not to mention the affair to the children. Evie also knew after seeing a text exchange between James and Burden about the affair on Burden’s computer.

In the weeks following, Burden began walking to cope with her distress. She studied her surroundings and thought about her situation. She soon realized that a lot of her guilt originated from attending Mass with her old babysitter Rose. Over time, the walks helped her work through her feelings, as she cried and screamed out her frustration.

Meanwhile, despite the ongoing pandemic restrictions, Burden navigated social life on the island. One day, she ran into a friend at the grocery store and told her about James. The friend was moved and took her under her wing. They started volunteering together each week.

The hours after the children went to bed were hardest for Burden. She stayed up doing puzzles, feeling as if her late family members and friends were sitting next to her. Her famous grandmother Babe Paley’s presence was the most surprising, as Babe died when Burden was nine.

Burden details what she knows about Babe and about her husband Bill’s infidelity. Burden parallels this to her mother’s history “of loving unfaithful men” (116). These men were not scorned, just regarded as naughty flirts.

In April, Burden began working on “an immigration case” pro bono (118). She felt overwhelmed by the project without James around. Eventually, she recovered her wits, relying on her walks to calm her.

Shortly after James left, Burden began to worry about finances. She knew that his determination to find the prenup was a bad sign and sought advice from friends. One friend’s husband asserted that James was in the wrong and that Burden should keep away from him at all costs.

In May, when the ospreys laid eggs, Burden immediately wanted to tell James but realized she couldn’t. On May 6, Burden celebrated her birthday with her daughters. Birthdays were always a big affair in Burden’s family, but James always struggled to uphold the tradition. The best gift he’d ever given her was a coveted key to Black Point private beach. Otherwise, Burden mostly planned her own birthdays. She was therefore shocked when both James and his brother texted congratulations.

However, not long later, she learned from a neighbor that James was discarding almost everything he’d acquired during the marriage. Hurt, Burden developed a dark depression. With Susan’s help, Burden started seeing a therapist. Reluctant at first, Burden soon benefited from her regular sessions.

At the end of the month, Burden and the girls returned to the city for doctors’ appointments and to collect their dog. Burden also hoped that Evie and Carrie could see James. However, she was anxious about leaving them alone with him, no longer trusting what he would do or say. After she got the dog, she wished that James would return to the family after seeing their pet. This did not happen. That evening, the girls told her that James was different now and that they felt strange being around him. Burden validated their feelings but was careful not to say anything bad about him to them.

Burden was restless being back in their old apartment. He’d bought the expensive mattress just months prior to leaving. Wondering again if he’d been planning the divorce, she searched the apartment for clues but then realized she would not find an answer. Susan told her to turn her attention to herself whenever she started to think about James.

Burden interacted with James a few times during her stay in the city. He ate dinner with them one night, acting perky even though Burden and the girls were down. Another day, he was working out in the apartment when they returned home and was visibly irritated by Burden’s presence. Burden, in contrast, had to quell a familiar longing to be with him.

On their way home, Burden and the girls stopped in the Hamptons to see Finn, who was now staying with Susan. Burden panicked over how she would parent her children alone. That night, she and Susan lay in bed together, talking about losing a spouse to death versus to divorce.

Back on the Vineyard, Burden and the girls checked in on the ospreys. Burden sent a photo of the happy bird family to James.

In the summer, club members started returning to the island. Burden didn’t know how people would treat her once they found out. It was atypical for club members to divorce. Despite her fear, she made herself attend parties and events, hoping to show her daughters some semblance of normalcy. While many were sympathetic, others sided with James, whom they saw as a prize they still wanted in their club.

One friend suggested that James’s affair might have led him to meet the love of his life. Another friend indicated that post-divorce, James might be the one to keep his club membership, as the club didn’t allow divorced couples to both be members. Although upset and embarrassed, Burden continued attending club events.

In July, James came to the Vineyard, renting an impractical house where the children couldn’t visit. He attended club events, too. One day, he showed up at the house, cheerily addressing Burden by her family nickname. She told him not to call her that, wishing she hadn’t let him onto the property.

Meanwhile, Burden took comfort in Taylor Swift’s music, walks, and friends. Susan came for her birthday, but Finn didn’t join.

As the summer waned, Burden allowed the girls to have friends over and enjoyed their noisy gatherings. She continued watching the ospreys, too. Returning to New York City on Labor Day weekend, Burden immediately knew that James had moved out when she entered their apartment.

One night, Burden met her friend Maria for dinner. Maria assured Burden that James had really loved her and insisted that he would be kind in the divorce. Burden felt better, but shortly thereafter, she received the official divorce papers and discovered otherwise. James wanted the prenup enforced, meaning that he planned to take his share of both the house and apartment; she would have to sell both. When Burden called to ask why he was being so cruel, he asserted that she had nothing to complain about.

At the end of September, Burden searched for the ospreys, but they were gone. She felt overcome by loss and tried comforting herself with the fact that the ospreys would return.