Three days later, Archer returns home after a difficult day at work. He hesitates before entering the quiet house. Inside, he discovers Iris and Olive having a tea party with stuffed animals, both wearing homemade flower hats. Using a bad British accent, Iris invites Archer to join them. Though Olive’s joy fades at his arrival, Iris pulls Archer to the floor and insists that he participate, helping Olive relax enough to speak in his presence.

Olive describes her day and shares her feelings about assigned cafeteria seats at school. Archer reacts strongly to this perceived injustice, but Iris calms him and gently explains the unfairness to Olive. The three debate stuffed animal names, with Archer and Olive bonding over naming the toys Mr. Higgenbottom, Hoppy, Mr. Blue, and Polly Pig. Olive begins talking and smiling at Archer. During this interaction, Archer is distracted by thoughts of Iris, comparing her to Mary Poppins but revising the comparison when he remembers her nightly attire.

At midnight that night, Archer makes pancakes in the kitchen, and Iris joins him, now wearing shorts with her T-shirt. Archer explains that customers at the diner are unhappy with his menu changes, particularly the pancakes. He says that he doesn’t have the old recipe and that the staff won’t cooperate in helping him recover it. Frustrated, Archer drops his whisk, and Iris touches his hand reassuringly, expressing confidence in his abilities.

Archer invites Iris to be his taste tester, and she agrees. He flips a pancake expertly, earning her applause. When she tastes it, she finds it delicious but notes that it’s “too good” and “too fluffy” compared to the diner’s original pancakes. She suggests that the original might be denser or even made from a pancake mix. Archer reluctantly considers altering the recipe but quickly rejects the idea of using a mix. Before they part, Archer invites Iris to dinner the next night to cook her “real food,” which she accepts. After she leaves, Archer realizes that he had been staring at her again.

The next day, Iris talks to Bex on the phone while driving to her morning aerobics class. Bex insists that she maintain boundaries with Archer, but Iris dismisses her concerns.

At the YMCA, Iris teaches her senior aerobics class. Her students (Carol, Janet, Estelle, Marissa) ask about Archer, gossip about his attractiveness, and discuss the diner situation. Later, Iris and a grumpy Olive watch baking shows until Archer returns home. He notices Olive eating a Pop-Tart and expresses disappointment but relents when Iris defends it as one of few things that Olive will eat. Archer prepares steak frites and offers Iris wine, and they discuss his decision to move to Dream Harbor for Olive’s sake. Iris reveals that her own father had no trouble leaving her. When Olive joins them, Archer teaches her to season steak, creating a bonding moment that leaves Iris emotional. She compares herself to Mary Poppins, who will leave when no longer needed.

A few nights later, Iris nearly collides with Olive sleepwalking in the dark hallway. The unresponsive child walks past, and Iris follows her. Archer, who is cleaning the kitchen, notices them. They discover Olive trying to open the child-proofed front door. Archer gently guides her back to bed and returns, reporting that she seems okay. The two adults sit in the hallway, discussing their fear and feeling overwhelmed.

Iris asks Archer if he really didn’t know about Olive’s existence. He explains that he and Olive’s mother worked in the same restaurant and had a brief romantic relationship, but he never heard from her again. Both admit that they never wanted children, though Archer is now committed as a father. Their feet touch as they sit together. Archer gazes at Iris with desire, who acknowledges their flirting and dangerous attraction but recognizes that a relationship between them is impossible. She imagines kissing him but ends the encounter, saying that she’s going to bed, while Archer stays outside Olive’s door to keep watch.

The following day, Archer video-calls his father, Jim, from behind the diner, appearing disheveled and stressed after sleeping in the hallway all night and after customers’ harsh rejection of his new lemon poppyseed pancakes that morning. He tells his father about Olive’s sleepwalking. His father reassures him and shares his own past parenting worries. Archer’s stepmother, Cathi, joins the call; she is excited to meet Olive and expresses pride in Archer. When his father asks about Iris, Archer avoids details about his attraction to her.

Archer ends the call, feeling inadequate, at which point Maribel, one of the staff members, leans out the back door of the diner and reports that there is a zucchini shortage. Archer learns that his veggie sandwich is popular at the diner, giving him a moment of professional pride. He confides in Maribel about Olive’s sleepwalking, and she suggests putting bells on the door as a precaution. Maribel shares her own child’s sleepwalking experience, noting that her child never wandered far. Archer feels lighter after her practical advice.

Two days later, on Archer’s day off, Iris suggests that they go to the farmers’ market with Olive. Iris holds Olive’s hand tightly as they explore. When Olive asks for strawberries, Archer explains that they’re out of season. Olive encounters Kira and Bennett with their dogs, Elizabeth and Benny. After asking to pet them, Olive asks for a dog of her own. Kira and Bennett offer to watch Olive while Iris looks for Archer, who slipped away at some point.

Iris finds Archer surrounded by her aerobics students, who are sharing advice about sleepwalking and cooking. After rescuing him, Iris tells him about Olive’s request for a dog, but Archer notes that he doesn’t think they can handle one. They visit Annie and George’s bakery table, where they purchase a pound cake and a bunny cookie for Olive. At Lupita’s florist stall, Archer buys yellow and pink tulips for Iris. While guiding her through the crowd, his hand lingers on Iris’s back, creating an electric feeling between them. They walk arm-in-arm until Iris becomes aware of the town watching them. Concerned about Archer’s custody situation and public perception, she abruptly pulls away and suggests that they find Olive.

The next evening, after Iris’s yoga class, she returns home and proposes that they attend a town meeting to crowdsource the pancake recipe. Archer refuses, attempting to assert control over his menu. Angry, Iris argues that the diner’s pancakes are important to the town’s identity. Archer admits that he’s struggling and then compliments Iris’s abilities with Olive, which she dismisses.

Iris inquires about Archer’s cooking scars. As she traces them with her finger, Archer becomes aroused. When Iris dips her finger in the pancake batter to taste, Archer grabs her wrist and takes her batter-covered finger into his mouth, licking it clean. They share an intense, charged moment and nearly kiss, but the sound of bells ringing interrupts them as Olive tries to sleepwalk out of the house again. They refocus on Olive, and Iris tucks her in. Afterward, Archer waits for Iris in the kitchen, but she does not return.