After Nan and Bennett go to bed, Alice and Heather sit on the porch with strong cocktails. Heather immediately demands the full story about Alice and Charlie, listing reasons she likes him: his ease with the Everly women, how he engaged Bennett and tenderly carried Nan, his forthrightness in hanging up on their dad and Heather during a prior call, his restraint in keeping his shirt on, and his physical appeal. She concludes that Charlie adores Alice and makes her truly laugh.

Heather bluntly asks if Alice and Charlie have had sex. Alice denies it, then admits they have not had sex but have been intimate in other ways. She characterizes their connection as a simple, non-complicated summer fling between friends who are physically attracted to each other, with no intention of a relationship.

Probing further, Heather asks what Alice likes about Charlie. Alice describes Charlie as different yet similar: more outgoing and confident but deeply attuned and caring, someone she can spend endless time with, who is funny and thoughtful, and around whom she can fully be herself. Heather reacts that Alice sounds in love.

Alice pushes back, recalling her painful history with Oz—how their close friendship and late-night talks led her to misread feelings before Oz treated her like a groupie. Heather argues this situation is different: Charlie looks at Alice as if he would follow her anywhere, unlike Oz. Alice reiterates that she wants their bond to remain friendship and a summer fling, fearing a relationship would ruin something rare.

Alice cites their parents’ marriage and separation as evidence of relationship risk. Heather counters that their mother did not flee but moved to British Columbia to pursue long-held happiness, and that relationships can change without being wastes of time. She still believes in love despite her own divorce, and she thinks their parents would not view their years together as wasted.

The conversation closes with Heather’s philosophy that nothing lasts forever, so Alice should hold onto what makes her happy for as long as she can. The sentiment echoes things Charlie might say, leaving Alice reflective but still insisting on current boundaries.