At Colette’s Beauty Shop, Tova sits with Barbara Vanderhoof under the dryers. Barbara offers condolences and dramatizes Lars’s passing, while Tova calmly reports he went peacefully and mentions retrieving his effects from Charter Village. When Barbara spots an advertisement for the facility, Tova admits it is the same place and, privately, recalls rereading the packet of amenities at home.

That evening at the aquarium, Tova checks in on Terry, who is eating takeout and offers her a fortune cookie. He mentions hearing about Lars from Ethan and asks Tova to prioritize cleaning the lobby windows for the busy Fourth of July weekend. Tova notices a heavy clamp on his desk; Terry explains he suspects the giant Pacific octopus has been escaping—eight sea cucumbers are missing—and plans to secure the tank with wood and the clamp.

Tova visits the octopus and greets him. His colors seem brighter, and he pointedly traces the small gap at the back of the tank. Torn between scolding and indulgence, Tova considers giving him one last taste of freedom before Terry’s fix. She climbs up, removes the lid, and lets him curl an arm around her hand and shoulder. They regard each other closely as he explores, even prodding her freshly done hair.

After a brief disappearance, the octopus resurfaces and presents a small gray object on a tentacle: Tova’s house key, lost the previous year. The offering confirms his clandestine wanderings and returns something she thought gone, while Tova now knows him as Marcellus. The planned clamp threatens to end these escapades, even as their unusual bond strengthens.