Buying snacks for Orla’s pregnancy cravings, Julian sees a newspaper headline about the Paris terrorist attacks. When he returns home, the couple discusses possible names for the baby. Orla suggests Cora as a girl’s name to commemorate Julian’s mother. However, Julian thinks of his mother as “Mum,” associating “Cora” with the way his father used to say the name.

Julian and Orla became a couple after he revealed that his father had killed his mother. He explained to Orla that he could not begin a relationship without admitting that “he has half the genes of someone capable of murder” (226). Julian still refuses to send his jewelry to England. However, he undertakes a private commission for an Englishman named David. The engagement ring is for David’s girlfriend, Lily, who is an English teacher.

Maia enjoys working as a homeopath, which often involves listening to patients’ problems as well as treating their medical issues. Maia tells her therapist that she thinks she is gay. However, she is unsure if her attraction to women stems from the fear of men she learned as a child. When gay marriage is legalized, Maia feels more optimistic about her future.

Cora has tried to leave Gordon Sr. several times. When she returned after the fourth attempt, she believed her husband had genuinely changed. Gordon Sr. took over the cooking and bought her thoughtful presents. Although Cora still had no access to a TV or radio, her husband kept her up to date with current affairs, such as the election of a new prime minister.

Cora often felt tired and confused, believing it was one date when Gordon Sr. claimed it was another. During a cognitive assessment, Cora incorrectly identified the date and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Afterward, Gordon Sr. reverted to physically assaulting Cora. When she prepared to leave, Gordon revealed he had Lasting Power of Attorney over Cora’s affairs due to her cognitive assessment. He took her to visit the dementia unit as a warning of the consequences if she tried to leave again. Cora’s only comfort is that their son has returned to live with them. Gordon Jr.’s addiction to alcohol culminated in him crashing his Porsche on the motorway. He lost his job and, after a spell in a psychiatric unit, emerged as a more sensitive and vulnerable individual.

Gordon Jr. visits his Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor, Rob, describing how, since becoming sober, he has dwelt on his mistreatment of other people. He tells Rob about sexually assaulting Lily and the repercussions for her at school. While the boys taunted Lily with sexual comments, the girls avoided her, and she eventually had a mental health crisis. Gordon’s online research has revealed that Lily is now a human rights lawyer, representing victims of sexual assault.

Maia has developed a closer relationship with her brother since his accident and arranges to meet him at an art gallery. However, she is reluctant for Kate to accompany her. Although she and Kate have been a couple for seven years, her family does not know she is gay. Maia fears how her father will react.

When Maia arrives with Kate, Gordon Jr. guesses they are a couple and is neither shocked nor judgmental. Walking around the gallery, they stop at Saturn Devouring His Son by Francisco Goya, a painting of a “wild-eyed” man consuming a smaller, decapitated figure. Maia observes that Saturn reminds her of their father.

Later, in a restaurant, Maia apologizes to Gordon Jr. for her comment about the Goya painting, realizing it upset him. She asserts that their father did not consume Gordon Jr. but rather manipulated him by rewarding him for hurting their mother. Maia acknowledges that she has also failed Cora. She asks Gordon Jr. not to tell their father she is gay.

After meeting Maia, Gordon Jr. craves alcohol and chooses a bottle of wine in a shop. However, his eye is caught by a bottle of Gordon’s Gin. The green bottle reminds him of assaulting Lily, and he puts the wine back on the shelf, running out of the store.