Eleanor packs with her trademark efficiency for a six-week shoot in Paris. As Lila updates Eleanor on apologizing to Jensen and missing him, Eleanor advises Lila to be straightforward and cautions that revealing multiple misjudgments could look careless. They part with affectionate banter and Lila’s underlying fear of losing Eleanor’s steadying presence.

Returning home, Lila finds Jane waiting to collect Gene’s remaining boxes from the attic. Jane explains that Gene had been staying with her but now needs other arrangements. Lila helps retrieve two clearly marked boxes and resists asking about Gene, though Jane volunteers that Gene has renewed interest via a fan convention tied to his old TV show.

At the car, Jane gently challenges Lila’s anger, asserting Gene’s essential goodness and revealing that Gene was deeply in love with Martha. Jane emphasizes that Martha had agency and was not a passive victim, urging Lila to consider forgiveness to avoid prolonging her own pain. Lila remains firm that Gene cannot return to the house, while Jane departs with a serene farewell.

Feeling the emptiness left by Bill and Gene, Lila rearranges furniture and decor to disguise the gaps and to prepare mentally for possibly listing the house. In the midst of this, Anoushka calls with a proposal: ghostwriting a memoir for a well-known, chaotic soap actress. Although pay is a flat fee without royalties, Anoushka argues it keeps Lila working and credited.

Lila researches the actress and later floats the idea of moving to a smaller, more manageable house with Violet and Celie. Both daughters react strongly against further change, insisting on staying in their home. Seeing Violet near tears, Lila abandons the plan and reassures them that they will not move.

The next day, when Anoushka reports the actress’s enthusiasm to meet, Lila agrees to proceed. She prioritizes the girls’ stability and accepts the ghostwriting opportunity, hoping any alarming details she heard were exaggerated.