Henry Strauss drives ninety minutes north from New York City to Newburgh for a Strauss family dinner, bracing himself for the usual criticisms and judgment. He arrives late as always, expecting reprimands, but his father greets him with startling warmth, his expression oddly “threaded with fog.”

Inside, David and Muriel are also uncharacteristically kind, and even the usual comments about Henry’s appearance and career never come. At dinner, Henry feels as if he has slipped into a sideways version of his life, one where guilt and disapproval have been vacuumed out of the room. No one mentions Tabitha or Henry’s failed proposal, and the family’s attention is focused on making him feel wanted and celebrated.

When Henry talks about running into Dean Melrose and the possibility of teaching again, he waits for skepticism and lectures. Instead, Henry’s parents and David encourage him without reservation, and even Muriel’s concern comes across as protective rather than dismissive. The sudden approval leaves Henry dizzy with relief and a kind of euphoria that feels too perfect to trust.

After dinner, Henry helps his mother with dishes, and she apologizes about Tabitha, insisting Henry deserves happiness and that she is proud of him. Henry admits he still feels like a disappointment, but Henry’s mother reacts with genuine hurt and tells him she loves him as he is, then urges him to go spend time with Muriel.

Outside on the porch, Henry joins Muriel as she smokes a joint and they share it while watching their parents and David through the window. Muriel asks why they do not spend more time together and tells Henry she always has time for him. When Muriel offers Henry a tin of “mints,” Henry finds little pink pills inside—“umbrellas”—and, thinking of a stranger standing perfectly dry in the rain, snaps it shut and refuses.

As the night ends, Henry considers staying over because the family’s warmth feels so good, but he chooses to leave before anything breaks the spell. His mother says he works hard, David tells Henry he loves him and is glad Henry is doing well, and Henry’s father hugs him and says he is proud. Henry wants to test why they are acting this way, but he accepts the comfort anyway, even if it does not feel entirely real.