The Conditions of Will

While Georgia is getting out of the shower the next morning, Sam knocks on the bathroom door. They chat about what’s happening between them and their concern about Oliver. They agree to keep their feelings for each other a secret. Then Oliver bursts in. Sam pretends to just be brushing his teeth. Tennyson comes in, too. He wants to know if the others are planning to attend church with Margaret and Maryanne. No one wants to go so they decide to spend the day together instead.

Georgia, Sam, Savannah, Oliver, and Tennyson spend the day on Will’s boat. Savannah pulls Georgia aside to ask about Sam. Georgia admits that she and Sam have feelings for each other and have kissed. Sam and the brothers join the conversation—everyone speculating about what might be in their father’s will. No one is sure what to expect.

Later that night, Sam and Georgia hang out in Sam’s room. They talk and kiss, deciding they want to have sex. Georgia insists they go into her room instead. She explains that she wants to have sex in that room on her own terms for the first time. Sam obliges, and they sleep together.

Georgia wakes up next to a sleeping Sam. Studying his face, she reflects on her sexual history. She had sex in high school and boarding school, but none of the relationships were meaningful until Anatole. She wonders now about how sex affects a person’s psychology. She knows having sex releases oxytocin, which is why she might feel that she’s in love with Sam. At the same time, she can’t deny how attached she is to him as a person. He wakes up, and they talk about their feelings.

The family gets dressed and heads to the lawyer’s office for the reading of Will’s will. Everyone is visibly nervous when the lawyer Desmond Clarke begins the meeting. Will has left the primary Okatie home, the Florida vacation home, and 10 percent of his company to Margaret. To Tennyson, he leaves 90% of the company and his car. To Georgia, he leaves a lot in New Hampshire. To a person named Alexis Beauchêne, he leaves a lake house. The family bursts out in confusion, interrupting Desmond. Nobody knows who Alexis is or thinks it’s fair this person should receive the house. Too upset, the family decides to stop the meeting for the day while they figure out what’s going on.

Back at home, the family discusses what’s going on. No one has heard of Alexis. They search Will’s office for answers. Finally, they discover that there must be a connection between Alexis and the money Will was sending to New Orleans. Violet bursts in, begging the siblings not to dig into Will’s secrets. The siblings ignore her, announcing that they’re “going to Louisiana” (273).

Georgia, Oliver, Tennyson, and Sam get ready to leave for New Orleans. Beforehand, Sam comes into the bathroom while Georgia is showering. Oliver interrupts, knocking on the door. (In the past, he would talk to Georgia while she was showering.) Georgia pulls Sam into the shower so Oliver doesn’t discover them. After Oliver leaves, Sam and Georgia kiss. Back downstairs afterward, the siblings and Sam pack up and leave.

On the drive, Tennyson tells the others about meeting and falling in love with Savannah. He plans to propose but admits that Savannah and Maryanne don’t get along because Maryanne told everyone he and Savannah are having premarital sex. Tennyson changes the conversation to Anatole, who he heard about from Oliver. Georgia tries changing the subject, but Oliver interrupts, announcing that Sam is afraid of commitment and doesn’t believe in marriage. Sam defends himself, but Georgia feels upset.

Georgia remembers an incident from her childhood. One day, her parents discovered explicit magazines in Oscar’s room. They harangued him for being gay. Realizing Oliver wasn’t ready to be out, Georgia stepped in and said the magazines were hers. Afterward, the siblings cried together. To this day, Georgia has been protective of Oliver.

The group stops at a motel in Pensacola for the night. Sam and Oliver take one room, and Tennyson and Georgia share another. Sam texts Georgia to meet him outside. Tennyson teases her but promises not to mention anything to Oliver.

Outside, Georgia and Sam talk about what happened in the car. Sam opens up about his last serious relationship nine years prior. They were both addicts, and to this day, Sam associates his feelings for his ex with using drugs and drinking. Georgia listens intently but insists that he can love her without being addicted to her. They agree to be together and kiss.

Back in the car the next morning, Oliver discovers a condom wrapper on the floor. Georgia panics because she and Sam had sex there last night. Tennyson jumps in, telling Oliver that he picked up a girl at a bar last night and cheated on Savannah. Oliver is shocked but swears to keep Tennyson’s secret. At the gas station, Georgia thanks Tennyson for covering for her. She’s surprised how different things have been with Tennyson these past few days.

The companions arrive in New Orleans. They settle into their hotel before seeking out the address where Will was sending money the next day. That evening, Georgia and Oliver admit that they’re worried about what they’ll discover. They suspect that Will was having an affair, but don’t know how to process it. Oliver is especially anxious because of his and Will’s poor relationship. Georgia tries to reassure him.

Georgia and Oliver continue discussing everything that’s going on. Georgia feels guilty that she’s lying to Oliver about Sam, but is terrified of hurting him. He admits that she and Sam are the only people on his side. Then he apologizes for everything that’s happened between them and hugs her.

Georgia, her brothers, and Sam go out for dinner. Georgia notices how hard Tennyson is trying to bond with Oliver. Oliver has always wanted his approval but Tennyson wasn’t kind to him growing up. He starts asking Oliver about his love life in an attempt to invest in his life. When Oliver talks about wanting a loving relationship with an emotionally mature partner, Georgia realizes he’s talking about Sam. Feeling guilty, she tries to avoid looking at or engaging Sam for the rest of the night. Back at the hotel, Sam confronts her about her avoidant behavior. She reveals that Oliver likes him and they can’t be together. Sam doesn’t want to let Georgia go and insists Oliver will be okay. Georgia feels trapped, but can’t deny her love for Sam.

Georgia thinks about Oliver and Sam on their way out the next morning. Finally, they arrive at Esplanade Ave. A young woman named Maya opens the door. She says that Alexis isn’t home, shocked to learn that Will is dead. Maya promises to text the siblings more information about Alexis later, assuring them that Will was a good person. Georgia is skeptical.

The group goes out to dinner. Over food, they speculate about who Maya is. Later that night, Tennyson leaves the room so that Georgia and Sam can be together. They hug, kiss, talk, and have sex, thrilled that they’re now an official couple.