Alice gets ready for her birthday dinner feeling bold and chaotic, choosing a glittery, braless look in a short green dress and sending a selfie to her friend Heather. She notes birthday messages from family and friends and an unanswered dinner invite from Harrison Singh. When Nan announces Charlie’s arrival, Alice watches him pull up in a black Porsche wearing a gray suit and carrying a chocolate layer cake, and the mutual attraction is obvious.

Outside in the post-rain stillness, Alice and Charlie share an appreciation for the forest and lake before heading inside with wine and gifts. Charlie greets Nan warmly and gives her a bottle of scotch at her request, prompting Alice to pull him into the kitchen to protest. He explains Nan’s doctor approved an occasional drink and gently reminds Alice to respect Nan’s autonomy; Alice relents. Their flirtation spikes as he jokes about garlic, sparkles, and where glitter might go, and he gives Alice a romance novel, teasing her to think of him on a specific page.

Back in the living room, Charlie pours drinks and toasts “To Joyce… and Alice” when Nan remarks on Alice using Joyce’s special glass. He shares that his father died suddenly of heart failure when he was fourteen and that John and Joyce supported his family, bringing food, taking the boys fishing, and keeping an eye on them. Nan and Charlie briefly lock horns over John, with Charlie relaying John’s message that he misses Nan and wants her to call; Nan deflects with a noncommittal “We’ll see.”

With Nan momentarily away, Alice applies silver glitter to Charlie’s cheekbones as they banter and lean into the charged quiet. When Nan returns, Charlie endearingly paints her nails with Alice’s purple polish, doing a clumsy job that makes Alice reach for her camera to capture the scene. Over lasagna, Nan reveals Alice spent a summer at the lake at seventeen; Charlie says he was there at nineteen, suggesting they overlapped, which surprises them both.

Charlie continues to charm by praising Alice’s cooking, clearing dishes, and washing up. He returns with the birthday cake adorned with a single candle, wearing a tiara and glitter as Alice films him singing. The cake, from his mother’s recipe, impresses both Alice and Nan, and Charlie glows at their praise, especially when Nan says his mother would have been thrilled he made it.

As Alice continues to rave about the cake, a loud klaxon horn blares outside. Charlie startles and warns, “They’re here,” signaling unexpected guests arriving and abruptly breaking the intimate mood.