Ryan recounts that Apricity was born on a Sunday and that he met her at eight hours old. The next morning he realizes he was too drunk to remember her newborn face. He describes his worsening stomach pains and his reliance on Hennessy, acknowledging that drinking temporarily eases symptoms while sustaining his illness and the double bind of alcoholism.

At the gallery when Apricity is one day old, a man named Alan visits and chats about art before sharing that he is a recovering alcoholic with three years and one month of sobriety. Ryan admits he is an alcoholic who is not recovering and asks how Alan did it. Alan explains that his sobriety began with an ultimatum from his estranged son, choosing the pain he could bear, and that he started attending AA after a reconciliatory fishing trip. He invites Ryan to a local AA meeting and leaves his contact information.

Ryan initially demurs, then goes home and drinks until blackout. He wakes to a text from Jet with a photo of Apricity and an invitation to visit. Shaken, Ryan texts Alan asking to be picked up for the AA meeting that day. He resolves to try again, driven by the desire to be a different kind of grandfather than he was a father to Jet.

Ryan attends multiple AA meetings, describing this as his most motivated attempt since Lillian’s death. He reflects on his relapse after Lillian died—how grief and suicidal thoughts led him back to drinking and emotional catatonia, leaving Jet to fend for herself at fifteen. He distinguishes Jet as the reason he stayed alive, even if he failed to show it then.

As he continues attending AA, Ryan begins to pray, without claiming certainty about its meaning, but seeing how faith helps others sustain sobriety. He notes peers who credit God and resolves not to judge belief or disbelief. His home shifts as his liquor cabinet empties and fills with paints, pictures, and books.

While sorting through an old book, a paper slips out bearing the note “ryan brighton (from library),” hinting at a relic from his past surfacing as he rebuilds his life.