After landing in Los Angeles, Poppy checks the messages that piled up during her flight. Rachel worries about her travel safety, Garrett questions her choice to give up Santorini, David happily welcomes her to his wedding events, and Poppy's mother jokes about Poppy finally getting together with Alex. Those messages frame the trip as both impulsive and emotionally loaded, especially because Poppy has chosen this vacation over work and over the glamorous assignment she was supposed to want.

David's message leads Poppy to think about recent texts with Alex about David's engagement and about Alex's family. That memory turns into a more painful thought: when Poppy teased Alex about having married young, Alex stopped responding once Sarah came up, then changed the subject entirely. Because Alex has dodged the topic ever since, Poppy concludes that something may be happening with Sarah again. The possibility makes Poppy feel sick, because if Alex and Sarah reunite seriously, this trip might be the last summer vacation Poppy and Alex ever take together.

While waiting to deplane, Poppy reflects on her own family and remembers the first time Alex met her parents years earlier. She had tried to keep him from coming inside because she feared he would judge her loud, messy household, but Alex politely endured her father's interrogation, her mother's chaos, and her dogs' bad behavior without criticism. Later, when Rupert died, Alex sent flowers and a kind note, proving again that he had treated her family and her grief with tenderness. That memory sharpens how deeply Poppy still values him, even after their friendship's long break.

Once Poppy gets off the plane, her excitement gives way to panic. She realizes she has not seen Alex in person or touched him in more than two years, and she worries their meeting will be awkward. As she tries to text him about where to meet, Alex appears at the gate before she can finish. He smiles, walks straight to her, and pulls her into a long hug that feels instantly familiar.

The reunion quickly dissolves Poppy's fear. They joke about their flights while Alex carries her bag, and Poppy is struck by how much about him is unchanged: his scent, his clothes, his careful warmth, and the double layer of feeling always visible on his face. When Alex notices her staring, Poppy jokes that he is simply very tall, using humor to hide how overwhelmed she is. The chapter ends with Alex smiling and telling her it is good to see her too, confirming that the bond between them is still powerfully alive.