On a morning dog walk, Lila tells her friend Eleanor that seeing her estranged father Gene again felt awful and that he behaved as if years of absence meant nothing. Eleanor encourages Lila to pursue fun and look forward, even as they banter about Eleanor’s adventurous dating life; Lila admits the current period feels overwhelming.

Lila reflects on Dan’s affair with Marja, believing it began during his sabbatical when he was supposedly helping with school pickups, and remembers the day he formally ended their marriage and her later sighting of him and Marja together. She notes her quiet endurance at the school gates but still avoids the play park.

At pickup, Lila encounters Gabriel, a new father with a shy charm, who asks about her cinnamon bun. Embarrassed yet energized, she insists he take it for his daughter. Afterward, Violet complains when Lila proposes a different treat, and Lila privately savors the encounter’s thrill.

Returning home, Lila’s mood sours remembering Gene’s presence. Bill reports an emergency plumber was required because Gene clogged the toilet. Lila promises to address it and retreats to her room, where she idly googles Gabriel and finds he is an award‑winning architect; she searches for signs of a spouse without success until Violet interrupts to summon her for dinner.

At dinner, Bill’s spiced swede fritters become a battleground: Gene, a little drunk, asks for ketchup, which Bill resents. Lila fetches it, further irritating Bill; Violet eagerly uses it. Conversation about Gene’s supposed rehearsals is evasive and contradictory.

The doorbell rings. Jane, Gene’s former long-term girlfriend, arrives hauling Gene’s old belongings, explaining Gene told her he was living with Lila. After Jane departs, Gene pleads to extend his stay, citing lost credit card, lack of cash, and a short-term need during rehearsals. Bill interjects from the kitchen, furious, and the men trade barbs that escalate into shoves; Bill snaps a tea-towel at Gene, and Gene threatens to fight.

When Violet appears, frightened, Lila steps between the men, labels it a “play-fight,” and pressures both Gene and Bill to perform friendliness. They comply awkwardly, then Gene settles with Violet to watch his old sci‑fi show. As Lila passes, she mouths to Gene that he has one more night, while Bill pointedly withdraws upstairs, unhappy with Lila’s decision.