After their diner meet-up, Alice and Hayden wander Savannah’s streets, talking about New York, future plans, and whether Hayden wants children. Hayden voices fears about bringing children into an uncertain world and the burden of witnessing the end of lives through their work. Alice takes his hand and reframes their work as a gift that clarifies priorities, telling him he can only control his actions.

Their connection turns physical but restrained: they kiss each other’s hands, hold each other in a prolonged embrace, and touch intimately without crossing the line into sex, both recognizing “the job” as an unbreachable boundary. Breathless, they separate, and Hayden walks Alice to her car. Alice later tells herself “nothing happened,” despite her body’s reaction.

The next morning, Alice watches the sunrise at the beach and texts her family thread that still includes her late father’s number. Brief exchanges with her mother and sister Audrey stir feelings of inadequacy and grief, and she misses her father’s humor and warmth.

Alice listens to the previous day’s interview recording. Margaret’s account resumes with Freddy Ives sending Doris “Bernie” Bernhardt flowers after her MGM contract and again after her first MGM release, with a note praising her. Their phone calls become regular, then weekly walks follow. Freddy dates others while Bernie does not, until, after eleven months, Freddy proposes during a walk; Bernie kisses him, and they become engaged.

Bernie’s missed period accelerates their wedding. She moves into the House of Ives, attends family events, and bonds with seven-year-old cousin Ruth “LP.” In 1938, their first daughter, Margaret Grace Ives, is born amid fan-magazine attention. Freddy is devoted early on; Bernie feels torn between motherhood and directing.

Three years later, their second daughter, Laura Rose Ives, is born, markedly different in temperament from Margaret. As the girls grow, Bernie worries about both for different reasons. When Margaret turns five and Laura is two, Bernie decides to return to work; despite Freddy’s preference for Royal, she signs with Universal, and their work schedules reduce their walks and increase stress. This is when the parental fighting begins, which is where the interview day ended.

Back on the beach, Alice recalls interviewing her father in college and regrets not recording it. She comforts herself with the idea that love persists beyond loss, sends a simple “Thank you” text to her father’s number, and immediately receives a separate text from Hayden. Their brief exchange ends with Hayden asking what she is doing that night.