In the present, Persephone "Percy" Fraser returns drunk from her friend Chantal's engagement party, newly single after a seven-month relationship with Sebastian. She reflects that although Sebastian seemed like the kind of serious adult partner she should want, he correctly sensed that she never truly cared about him. Percy admits that she keeps relationships shallow because there was only one person she ever really loved, and that loss still defines her.

While struggling into her apartment, Percy receives a late-night call from an unknown number. When the caller asks for "Percy," a name no one uses anymore, Percy is instantly thrown back into vivid memories of summers at the lake and of Sam Florek, the boy she loved. For a moment, the familiar voice makes her think Sam is calling, which exposes how deeply she still longs for him.

The caller identifies himself as Charlie Florek, Sam's brother, and Percy is hit by sharp disappointment as well as shock. Charlie's call forces Percy to confront the past she has spent years avoiding. Percy remembers exactly how long it has been since she last saw the Floreks: twelve years, ever since a disastrous Thanksgiving weekend when everything between Percy and Sam fell apart.

Charlie then tells Percy why he tracked her down: their mother, Sue, has died after battling cancer for several years. The news devastates Percy, both because she loved Sue and because she had no idea Sue had been sick. Percy thinks of Sue's warmth, strength, and importance in her life, and she feels guilty for having been absent from the family for so long.

As Percy struggles to respond, she recalls how deeply Sue shaped her summers and cared for her like family. Charlie says that Sue meant a great deal to Percy and asks her to come to the funeral on Sunday. Although returning north means facing the place she loved most and the people she abandoned, including Sam, Percy immediately agrees to go.