Ryan, eager after asking Evie to move in, tries to rush the process, even calling movers. Evie reassures Ryan she wants to live with him but insists on a short delay, scheduling movers for Saturday and promising a recovery day after. While he departs for his usual Thursday in East Texas, she plans to pack alone.

Evie drives to her Lake View Apartments unit, where a Goodwill truck—arranged off-book—arrives early. She has the driver, Pat, deliver boxes he has been storing for her and pays him cash, also collecting extra boxes to complete the illusion. The boxes contain carefully selected items bought in the last four days that Evie will claim she has owned for years.

Inside, Evie manufactures signs of a lived-in home: menus and photos of her and Ryan on the fridge; half-used condiments and toiletries; a worn bar of soap; a partly squeezed toothpaste tube; empty hangers; and scattered, partially unpacked boxes. She opens a box of books and another of vintage perfume bottles—an intentional “collection” inspired by a post about Ryan gifting his mother an Art Deco bottle—choosing details tailored to his tastes.

Shawna, the complex manager, intrudes, suspicious of the unfurnished unit rented for a single week. Evie asserts control, makes clear her visit is unwelcome, and confirms the unit will be empty by Sunday. As Shawna leaves, Evie notes the remaining tasks and the need to finish before Ryan returns at 5:30, keeping her constructed backstory intact for the weekend move to his house.