In the morning, Xavier takes Samantha to breakfast at Donna’s, Mike’s mother’s café, where Mike’s sister Janessa gives them a cool reception. Xavier introduces Samantha as his girlfriend, and he and Samantha trade affectionate descriptions of their “ideal” partners, each clearly describing the other. Xavier reflects on how seeing Samantha arrive the previous day became one of his most treasured life memories.

Xavier reveals he has started picking up Saturday overnight and Sunday shifts at an ER veterinary clinic, bringing him to seven days of work each week, to save money for more trips to see Samantha. They share an inside joke when “Come On Eileen” plays, then acknowledge the ache of long distance. Xavier confirms his next visit for November 18–20 and agrees to attend Lisa’s home birthday dinner; Samantha notes Tristan’s new tattoo apprenticeship.

They play a hypothetical “egg for a year” question, and both immediately choose each other as trusted guardians, segueing into talk about what they would do with a million dollars. Both say they would pay off Xavier’s clinic; Xavier adds he would open a second clinic in California to be near Samantha, and Samantha affirms she would also prioritize his goals. They part for work, with Xavier returning inside to pay.

At the register, Janessa tells Xavier that his parents recently ate at the café with friends and that his mother bragged about him being a veterinarian and connected to Donna’s. Janessa admits she treated them rudely on purpose and offers to be there for Xavier, which he declines. The news unsettles Xavier, resurfacing childhood anxiety and hypervigilance; he resents how his parents can still make him feel small despite his adulthood and professional authority.

That evening, Samantha shares that her company is merging with Kraft Heinz due to their success in the organic mustard market; her role and benefits are expected to remain stable. Over dinner at Xavier’s favorite sushi spot, Xavier recounts the café incident, and Samantha characterizes his mother’s behavior as narcissistic—claiming credit for his success and likely blaming him for estrangement if the façade falters. She reassures Xavier that his accomplishments are his own and that his parents’ posturing cannot change that.

The chapter closes with Xavier noting how quickly their two days together passed, saying goodbye to Samantha at the airport, and then working himself to exhaustion over the following four weeks to fund his next trip to see her.