Marissa’s friend Bree arrives to find Marissa injured and distressed. Marissa recounts that she was assaulted by actor Tristan McCabe after a planned encounter arranged through her friend Ebony, who had suggested sex work as a potential networking opportunity. During the encounter at a hotel, McCabe became agitated and violently attacked Marissa. Ebony escaped to get help, and hotel staff intervened, preventing further harm.

After returning to her apartment, Marissa isolates herself and struggles to process the event. Bree urges her to seek medical treatment and report the assault, but Marissa fears legal consequences related to solicitation. Bree offers advice, and the two use medication and alcohol to dull Marissa’s distress. Marissa briefly reflects that she could have been killed before falling asleep.

When they wake, Bree leaves, promising to return with makeup for Marissa’s bruising. Alone, Marissa’s panic resurfaces.

While flying, Ariane struggles with morning sickness and rushes to the bathroom shortly after the seatbelt sign is turned off. Upon returning to her seat, she apologizes to the man beside her and notices the older woman on her other side making bracelets. The woman introduces herself as Dolly and begins a conversation, asking about Ariane’s pregnancy and sharing details about her own large family and long-term sobriety.

During the flight, Ariane reflects on when Annie told her about her separation from Orion. Annie acknowledged her relationship with Viveca, which upset Ariane. Ariane recalls learning that Andrew reacted angrily to the news and that Marissa was supportive of the relationship. Although still unsettled, Ariane gradually resumed speaking with her mother. Intermittently distracted by the flight attendant and the behavior of the passengers around her, Ariane continues to process her family’s fractured dynamics.

Ariane also thinks about her pregnancy, her body, and her past relationships, including memories of a boyfriend named Axel, who had mocked her appearance. Conversation with Dolly resumes, touching on motherhood, ethnic identity, sobriety, and parenting expectations. Ariane discusses her work running a soup kitchen in San Francisco and listens as Dolly speculates about the baby’s sex based on her own experiences. Ariane notices Dolly’s casual use of outdated racial terminology.

As her thoughts continue to wander, Ariane recalls advice Annie gave her when she first began menstruating: “[N]ever, ever put yourself in a situation where you’re alone with a boy or man” (437), a warning that frightened her. She worries about meeting Viveca and feels conflicted about the extravagant gifts Viveca has given Marissa while also recalling moments when Orion defended her against criticism. Ariane considers her choice of sperm donor and reflects on family secrets, including Marissa’s abortion, which only Ariane knows about.

Near the end of the flight, Ariane dozes briefly before being awakened by Dolly, who asks her opinion about politics. Their conversation ends awkwardly when Ariane realizes they hold opposing views. As the plane prepares to land, Ariane remembers when her brother first avoided her at school—for which Annie hit him—and then was suspended after defending Ariane against a bully.

After the plane lands, Dolly gives Ariane one of her bracelets. Ariane explains that she is not married and that her pregnancy was the result of artificial insemination, and Dolly responds without judgment. When the businessman Ariane apologized to earlier ignores her and Dolly’s attempts to retrieve their luggage, Ariane asserts herself. She then meets Orion at baggage claim, where he is waiting with a woman.

The following morning, Orion returns from grocery shopping to find Ariane awake. He is surprised by her pregnancy and expresses concern, shaped in part by his own experience growing up without a father, though he also offers support. Orion prepares breakfast, making Cream of Wheat for Ariane—recalling that it helped Annie with morning sickness—and eggs for himself, noting the awkwardness of their reunion after two years apart.

While eating, they discuss Viveca’s house, including its extravagance and politically charged artwork. Orion shares that he has been thinking about family and has begun researching genealogy. They also discuss plans to walk to Long Nook Beach, reflecting on how environmental changes have altered the area over time. During the conversation, Ariane asks about the woman who met her at the airport; she learns that Tracy is a biologist studying great white sharks and that Orion met her at a restaurant.

Ariane asks Orion about Viveca, and he admits he dislikes her while stating that he does not want to influence Ariane’s opinion. Ariane becomes ill again, and although Orion worries about her, he does not voice his concerns, instead offering to let her move back home. Ariane declines but expresses a desire for Annie’s help after the baby is born. When Ariane asks whether Annie was a good mother, Orion reflects that neither he nor Annie was perfect but believes they “did fine,” noting Annie’s resistance to change and tendency to express fear as anger.

Before leaving for their walk, Orion packs an extra sweatshirt for Ariane. He finds her examining the Jones paintings he brought with him and explains that he brought them to keep them out of Viveca’s reach. Ariane questions his assumption that Viveca would steal them, and the two leave for their walk.

Casey-Lee and Andrew have dinner at an Olive Garden, which disappoints Casey-Lee, who wanted to try a new restaurant. Andrew feels anxious about telling her that he has decided to attend his mother’s wedding. During the meal, he notices their server, Xan, and covertly observes her while Casey-Lee complains about her job teaching kindergarten and reacts sharply when Xan accidentally spills white wine on her. Casey-Lee fixates on the possibility of a stain and behaves rudely toward the server, while Andrew reflects that she can be “bitchy […] but she has a good heart” (498).

As dinner continues, Andrew reflects on the early stages of their relationship, including her father’s hostility toward him due to his multiracial heritage and military nursing career. He recalls that Casey-Lee helped him curb self-destructive behavior, though he also notes ideological differences between them, including his decision to secretly vote for Obama while allowing Casey-Lee to believe he voted Republican. Conversation shifts to schedules, religious commitments, and wedding plans, with Casey-Lee expressing frustration at Andrew’s lack of enthusiasm. Her anger reminds Andrew of Annie.

Throughout the meal, Andrew remains distracted, again noticing the server and later brushing off Casey-Lee’s confrontation about it. When Andrew mentions Annie’s wedding, Casey-Lee says she has purchased an expensive wedding gift and expects Andrew to reimburse her. She continues to complain about the food and the wine spill. After dessert, Andrew pays while Casey-Lee is in the restroom, and they are briefly stopped by Casey-Lee’s former teacher, Miss Bascomb, whom Casey-Lee treats coldly before complaining about the encounter afterward.

On the drive back to Casey-Lee’s house, they argue about Andrew’s drinking, and he nearly causes an accident. Although Casey-Lee apologizes, tension remains. At her house, Andrew hopes for intimacy while Casey-Lee works. Left alone, he reflects on his past use of sex workers and experiences guilt over his sexual thoughts and attempted masturbation. When he returns, Casey-Lee is looking up an old friend online. Andrew abruptly ends the relationship, stating that he does not fit into her family or life. Despite her pleas, he leaves, expressing violent anger as he departs and driving recklessly.

Orion and Ariane visit Long Nook Beach. They settle on the beach, where Orion gives Ariane the sweatshirt he brought for her. Their conversation touches on the nearby nude beach, Ariane’s childhood memories, and the sex-related warnings Annie gave her when she was younger. As they walk, Orion shares information from his recent genealogical research, and they discuss experiences of racism they have witnessed or endured. After resting and swimming, they return to Viveca’s house.

When they arrive, a cleaning company is waiting, and Orion lets them inside while he and Ariane sit on the deck. They discuss concerns about Marissa’s behavior, and Ariane reveals that she got a tattoo after Axel left her. Inside, Orion speaks briefly with a member of the cleaning crew before pressing Ariane for information about Annie. Ariane acknowledges that Annie was sometimes abusive, though she attempts to minimize the severity. As Orion continues to question her, Ariane reveals that Annie physically abused Andrew. She expresses fear that she may repeat similar patterns as a parent.

Tracy arrives and offers Ariane items meant to help with morning sickness before going to shower. Orion offers to cook dinner and ignores a phone call, later giving the cleaning company his phone number.

Alone with Ariane, Orion asks for specific examples of Annie’s behavior. Ariane reluctantly describes an incident in which Annie struck Andrew with a mallet, followed by Annie’s emotional distress. She explains that she and her siblings kept the incident secret out of sympathy for Annie. Ariane then recounts another incident in which Annie pushed Andrew down the stairs, breaking his wrist; Andrew insisted on keeping the abuse hidden and created cover stories for his injuries. Orion becomes increasingly angry, and Ariane apologizes.

After Ariane leaves to shower, Orion reflects on Annie’s behavior and leaves to buy groceries, instructing Ariane to secure the house if she goes out. While driving and shopping, he continues to reconsider past events, realizing that injuries he once attributed to Andrew’s clumsiness were the result of abuse. When he returns, Ariane is resting and comments that she hopes her child will be a girl, stating that “boys are harder” (566). Marissa arrives shortly afterward, briefly takes food, and goes upstairs with Ariane without removing her sunglasses.

Later, Orion checks his email and finds a message from his cousin Ellen, whom he has contacted through genealogical research. He also receives a message from Andrew stating that he plans to attend the wedding. As Orion prepares for bed, he reflects on his children, concluding that they are “solid, self-supporting adults” (573), and considers his place within the family as he anticipates becoming “Grandpa Oh.”

As he drives, Andrew eats and avoids thinking about Casey-Lee. He is hurrying to arrive in Cape Cod, though he does not plan to tell his family about his breakup.

Andrew arrives, and Marissa, Ariane, and Orion meet him outside.

Orion has breakfast with his three children and Tracy. He becomes concerned when he notices bruising on Marissa’s face and her defensive reaction to a joke about being hit; her heavy drinking also worries him. Tracy interacts easily with Orion’s children, sharing stories about sharks, which they find engaging. Conversation touches on Andrew’s experiences in Texas, prompting mixed reactions from Ariane and Marissa. After breakfast, the group separates, with Ariane, Andrew, and Marissa leaving for Three Rivers. Before departing, Tracy compliments Orion’s parenting.

While driving back, Orion reflects on his tendency to prioritize work over family and his awareness of Annie’s struggles during their marriage. He recalls a recent conversation with Andrew in which Andrew avoided discussing the abuse he experienced, instead focusing on his work with traumatized soldiers. Andrew expressed resentment over the family’s lack of church involvement, and Orion explained that attending would not have been authentic for him. During a walk, they encountered a seal carcass, likely killed by a shark. Orion later questioned Andrew about his anger and feelings regarding the wedding, which led to tension when Orion suggested a connection between Andrew’s aggression and Annie’s abuse. Orion then disclosed his experiences with the sexual harassment accusation, Seamus’s suicide, and his difficulty coping with the separation. Andrew reassured him, and Orion asked him to keep the conversation private.

Upon returning to Viveca’s house, Orion notices Marissa’s cell phone and receives a call from Annie, who tells him the children are on their way. Annie discusses her intention to compensate her housekeeper and doorman for attending the wedding, and Orion advises her not to ask Andrew to participate in the ceremony.

Unsettled, Orion decides to attend the wedding. As he prepares to leave, he realizes he has forgotten Marissa’s phone and returns to the house, where the cleaning company is present. When Orion goes inside to confront them, he is struck by a man and rendered unconscious.