Driving back from Margaret’s, Alice struggles with the impossibility of telling Hayden the truth about his connection to Margaret and also refusing to lie. Overwhelmed, she cries at the beach and decides to leave, returning to the bungalow to pack. When Hayden arrives with champagne, Alice announces she is not taking the job; Hayden reveals he withdrew to avoid the competition hurting their relationship. Alice refuses to explain, citing that he should ask Margaret, and asks him to leave. Hayden, hurt and confused, says goodbye, and Alice is shattered.

After texting her mother, Alice returns to her childhood home. She avoids friends’ messages and considers other work, but keeps circling the dilemma of keeping Margaret’s confidence versus being honest with Hayden. She isolates for days, then her mother insists she help with chores.

Alice and her mother work intensively in the garden and around the homestead for two days, which steadies Alice’s mind. At dinner, tension breaks when her mother asks what is wrong, prompting Alice to admit she feels her mother disrespects her career and that she feels like she does not belong in the family. Expecting rejection, Alice instead receives a tender embrace and reassurance that she belongs and is loved.

Alice’s mother explains that as Alice grew up, new interests created distance she struggled to bridge, and that after Alice’s father died she did not know how to be what Alice needed, because he uniquely understood Alice. They grieve him together; Alice laments not preserving more of his stories and songs.

Wanting to repair this, Alice’s mother invites questions, and they set up a phone and recorder. With photo albums open, they take turns telling stories from “commune days” onward, agreeing to share everything with each other.

The next morning, Alice writes a letter, newly clear on what she needs to say. Before she can act, there is a knock at the door: her friends Priya, Cillian, and Bianca arrive, explaining that Alice’s mother invited them. Alice is relieved and grateful as they settle in for coffee and support.