The morning after the bachelorette party, Phoebe wakes to find Lila behaving as if her emotional confession never happened. Lila complains about her hangover, asks for Motrin, and avoids discussing the fact that she said she did not want to marry Gary. When Juice arrives to take them to the planned surfing lesson, Phoebe initially tries to give Lila space, but Lila privately admits she has no intention of surfing, says the activity was really for Juice, and asks Phoebe to go in her place. Lila confirms that the wedding is still happening, then sends Phoebe off with a request to buy Gas-X, which erases much of Phoebe’s sympathy.

On the beach, Phoebe joins Gary and Juice for the lesson. The awkward struggle to get into their tight wet suits becomes playful and intimate, especially when Phoebe helps Gary pull his suit on and zip it up. Their joking makes Phoebe feel close to him, and she senses that Gary may be seeing her with the same warmth. Under Aspen’s instruction, the group practices balance and getting to their feet on the board.

Once they enter the water, Phoebe is startled by how alive she feels. Juice stands up on her board first, and Gary and Phoebe cheer her on like proud parents. Phoebe then catches a wave herself, stands, falls, and loves the crash into the water. The experience gives Phoebe a new clarity: people keep living through pain because a future self may still want something unexpected and joyful, like surfing with someone she cares about. Gary struggles more on the board, but all three keep trying simply because it is fun.

After the lesson, the exhaustion and laughter continue as the three of them peel off their wet suits, nap together on the beach, and then go to Flo’s for fried clams and water. At lunch, Phoebe feels unusually natural and at ease with Gary and Juice, as if she has slipped into a real family dynamic. She also feels the danger of that happiness, because it makes her want something she cannot claim. When they leave the restaurant, Phoebe realizes that falling in love with strangers means not being able to keep them.

The mood continues on a stop at CVS, where Juice delights in the store and Gary and Juice follow Phoebe through the aisles like a team. When Phoebe admits she is buying Gas-X for Lila after the cabbage from the night before, the shared joke makes them laugh together again. Seeing the three of them briefly on the store’s security monitor, Phoebe is struck by the plain reality of their being together, captured as if it were an ordinary family errand.