As the swim team departs for a funded training trip to Hawaii, the divers are left behind, prompting grumbling that Coach Sima deflects. Scarlett travels to St. Louis, where Barb picks her up and Pipsqueak’s enthusiastic greeting grounds her. A quiet Christmas leads to playful texting with Lukas about fika; he pointedly gifts her a Duolingo subscription, and they begin sharing photos from their daily lives.

Across the following days, Lukas sends images of Sweden—family, snow, a frozen lake—while Scarlett replies with snapshots of St. Louis and home. The easy transparency of their sexual dynamic carries into their conversations, reducing her self-consciousness. Scarlett drafts med school essays and shadows Barb’s colleague Makayla, who encourages her to seek a spring internship.

At Costco, Scarlett and Barb run into Josh and his mother. After brief small talk, Josh admits he “missed this,” but Scarlett confronts him for breaking up on the day of her NCAA finals and for never reaching out after her injury. She closes the door on the past, recognizing how incompatible they were.

In the car, Barb gently asks about Scarlett’s current romantic life. Their teasing turns into a tender exchange about family labels, prompting Scarlett’s memory of calling Barb “Mom” as a child and of her father’s harsh reaction. Scarlett affirms Barb as her true parent and imagines future grandchildren calling her simply “Grandmother.”

Late that night, Scarlett and Lukas text about Midsommar traditions. He invites her to visit Sweden and shares that Jan has been proudly showing her dives to relatives. Then Lukas suggests they “just start dating,” notes Midsommar conflicts with U.S. Trials, and invites Scarlett to taper in Melbourne afterward, expressing confidence she’ll qualify. Scarlett drifts to sleep envisioning the midnight sun and a more committed future.