Samantha narrated the aftermath of her grandmother's sudden death on Christmas Eve, describing it as a day forever marked by tragedy. She called Xavier immediately, feeling hopeless that he could not get there in time, while her family managed the crisis: her father brought Lisa to Samantha's apartment, Tristan took the boys out for donuts to spare them from seeing the coroner, and Samantha and Jeneva fielded questions and coordinated funeral arrangements. The coroner removed her grandmother's body, and the sisters cleaned the room and contacted funeral homes, while Samantha medicated Lisa preemptively to blunt the emotional fallout.

Throughout the day, Samantha moved in a fog, performing small tasks like feeding Pooter and cleaning up after the pug, and then took sleep aids late at night. In the early hours of Christmas morning, Xavier arrived unexpectedly and held Samantha as she finally broke down, sobbing in his arms. She reflected on the logistical and personal sacrifices he must have made to come.

In the morning, Samantha woke to find Xavier gone from the bed but present in the house, having fed Pooter, cared for the boys, and made breakfast. He had also walked the pug, now called Pugsly by the boys. As Samantha tried to function, she struggled with the realization that it was Christmas and felt overwhelmed.

A piercing scream from Lisa interrupted breakfast. Samantha and Xavier found Lisa in a meltdown, insisting she needed to go buy groceries while her husband restrained her. After a tense exchange that revealed confusion over who had fed Lisa the previous night, Xavier calmly suggested she might be hungry. The family realized they had inadvertently not fed her amid the chaos, and, following Xavier's guidance, they returned to the kitchen to get everyone food.

Alone with Xavier, Samantha grieved the lack of a goodbye and apologized for the disruptions to Xavier's plans and the expense of his trip. Xavier reassured her to give herself grace. When Samantha mentioned a headache, she suddenly remembered taking medication in the dark and ran to her apartment, discovering she had swallowed an earbud instead of an Advil PM.

Xavier laughed, then comforted her, assuring her it would pass naturally and would not require surgery. The absurdity provided a brief, needed moment of humor in an otherwise devastating day, and Samantha felt steadier with Xavier there.