Lila tells Eleanor in the gym changing room how Bill and Gene scolded her like a teenager after her night out, with Bill fretting about boundaries with Jensen and role-modeling for the girls, and Lila wishing she had voiced her anger but in reality only muttering a brief retort before leaving.

Prompted by Eleanor, Lila describes the night with Jensen: they laughed, did not have penetrative sex due to no condoms and Jensen’s caution, but Jensen pleasured her attentively, making her feel comfortable and happy for the first time in years. They fell asleep on garden cushions in Bill’s studio, and Jensen later texted warmly before leaving to see his parents, which, coupled with Bill’s warning about mixing work and romance, leaves Lila unsure how to reply and creates a three-day silence.

Back home, a tentative peace emerges between Bill and Gene: Gene keeps better hours, tidies the sofa-bed, and performs polite greetings; Bill moderates his irritations and engages in small household improvements. The reduced friction allows Lila to focus for three days on revising her overdue opening chapter for Anoushka.

Lila writes and sends a frank chapter recounting the pub conversation, keys mishap, decision to “get back on the bike,” and the joyful, pressure-free intimacy with “J,” framing it as liberation in her forties—sex untethered from relationships and insecurity. She omits identifying details and the hospital episode, feels satisfied, and emails it off.

Meanwhile, Lila and Gabriel trade flirtatious texts, with Gabriel complimenting her appearance and empathy, culminating in a proposed Thursday drink; however, his replies become sporadic, leaving plans unclear and Lila both buoyed and anxious.

When Eleanor visits with a new phoenix tattoo, she questions the uncertainty around Gabriel’s plans. Bill returns from a piano session with Penelope Stockbridge; Gene teases that Bill likes her and urges him to ask her to dinner. Lila reassures Bill that Francesca wouldn’t mind him moving on. Gene frames it as living fully, invoking Francesca’s spirit, and Bill tentatively agrees to consider inviting Penelope.

Finally, Bill and Gene proudly reveal they have fixed the persistently blocking toilet by correcting the soil pipe angle after a trip to the plumbing supplier. Lila is touched by their teamwork and furious at the plumber who had been charging her repeatedly for ineffective fixes.