Tegan spends the morning intermittently crying, triggered by solitaire reminding her of Dennis, who taught her cards. She worries about Dennis, Simon Lamar’s reaction to her defiance, and what Jackson tried to tell her before the crash. With the TV just snow, she clings to small distractions.

At noon, Polly brings a barbecue chicken sandwich and suggests moving the cards. When Tegan grabs Polly’s bruised wrist, Polly winces. They play gin rummy while Tegan asks about the plow. Polly cheerfully praises Hank and her cooking, but admits Hank wanted her to stop working, which alarms Tegan as a sign of control.

Polly asks about Tegan’s “husband,” and Tegan maintains the lie, saying they’ve been married two years. Tegan considers confiding the truth about Simon but holds back. A brief flare-up over gin rules (using queen-king-ace) shows Polly’s rigidity, then quick capitulation to Tegan as the guest.

When Tegan’s ankle throbs, Polly urges removing the boot due to swelling and possible nerve pressure. Tegan refuses, planning to wait for a hospital trip when roads clear. Tired, she asks to keep the lights on, but Polly accidentally turns them off as she leaves. Tegan stops calling out, wary Hank might answer, and falls asleep.