On the airboat, Margaret states that her mother was a magnificent woman and emphasizes that her father truly loved her, though public narratives fixate on their divorce. Margaret explains the contradiction by saying Gerald did not love himself, which made him weak and jealous, and that while he mistreated her mother and was a horrible father for a period, he also adored the family and later became a wonderful father. She reveals that Gerald and Margaret’s mother spoke by phone every day until the mother’s death and were best friends after returning to their original dynamic.

Alice prompts for details, and Margaret recounts that after Margaret’s mother got an MGM contract, Gerald sent a bouquet, which the mother disliked because cut flowers made her sad. Alice shares a personal anecdote about complicated memories tied to a childhood cartoon, and Margaret agrees that everything becomes complicated when examined closely. Margaret worries that a book will reduce her family to tabloid fodder and listicles, turning real people into flat characters, and she becomes emotional.

Alice consoles Margaret, acknowledging that sensational headlines are inevitable but arguing that the complete story will also exist for those who seek it. Margaret notes that nothing is simple but decides to continue, saying she wants to tell Alice about her parents. They agree to leave the buggy setting and head back, with Alice observing that Margaret appears lighter for having shared.

That night, Alice receives a text message from an unknown New York number that turns out to be Hayden. After a playful exchange where Hayden briefly pretends to have the wrong number, he invites Alice to meet at a twenty-four-hour diner in Savannah, proposing a few hours together without talking about Margaret.

Alice meets Hayden at the Atomic Café. Their greeting is slightly awkward but warm, and they settle into easy banter about the diner’s ambiance, coffee quality, and Hayden’s sweet-tea mishap. They discuss Hayden’s health-conscious habits rooted in his upbringing and joke about a figurative “M-word” (Margaret) jar to keep work talk out of their evening.

Alice feeds the tabletop jukebox and plays a Cosmo Sinclair song, teasing Hayden as their flirtation intensifies. The server’s abrupt arrival with their food breaks the moment. They taste their meals, critique the fare, and toast both Ray’s Diner (their preferred spot) and the unnamed woman who inspired the song, ending the night on a light, intimate note that signals growing personal closeness.