On Friday morning, Denise starts learning to use crutches. Willa will visit in the afternoon, but Peter informs her he has a conference call and won’t be joining them. Willa is apprehensive about driving to the hospital by herself, so Peter relents and agrees to drive after the call.

Willa and Cheryl take Airplane for a long walk. Cheryl tells Willa about the neighbors. Dave, a private detective, investigates adultery. Dr. Ben sees mostly elderly patients. A gay couple, Barry and Richard, live on the corner. Cheryl is envious of her friends, Patty and Laurie, whose grandmother has a swimming pool and takes them to get their nails done. Cheryl asks if Willa would ever take her to get her nails done. It makes Willa happy that Cheryl sees her as a grandmother.

As they come back up Dorcas Road, they see Sir Joe. Cheryl excitedly greets him. When he introduces himself to Willa, she realizes his name is actually Sergio. He’s charming and doesn’t seem at all like an edgy biker. He has his own HVAC business. Cheryl clearly has a crush on him. 

After lunch, Peter is in a bad mood because his associates forgot to include him on the conference call at first. Willa is sad she doesn’t have any emails from Ian. She sends him one to inform him that she’s in Baltimore. She considers sending the same email to Elaine but decides not to. Their communication is always strained. 

Peter’s bad mood lasts through the afternoon as they visit the hospital. In Denise’s room, several of her coworkers have organized a small party with wine and snacks. The women mistake Willa for Cheryl’s grandmother. Peevishly, Peter asks why those women couldn’t care for Cheryl, but Willa reminds him that they have jobs. Peter hates Baltimore. He questions why they’ve come since they “don’t even know Denise” (169). When Peter snaps that Willa is “going to pieces” (169), she replies that she was thinking the same of him.

The next morning, Denise calls to say that she’s being released. Peter agrees to help load Denise into the car but plans to get a flight home right after. Willa suggests they wait because Denise may still need help. Peter dismisses her because “it’s only a broken leg” and she has plenty of neighbors to help (172). 

Denise has crutches, but she’s still not steady on them. It takes Peter, Willa, and a nurse to load Denise, who is clearly still in pain, into the car. Denise laments that she won’t be able to drive for a while. Peter scoffs that she should be fine because it’s her left leg, but Denise asks him where she’s supposed to put her huge cast. Peter doesn’t answer. 

Peter struggles to help Denise inside the house, attracting the attention of neighbors Hal, Erland, and Sir Joe. Eventually, Sir Joe picks up Denise and carries her through the door, settling her on the couch. Ben arrives too, advising Denise not to attempt the stairs for a while. Hal introduces himself to Peter and Willa, adding that he knows Willa is Sean’s mother.

As everyone leaves, Hal and Erland offer to be a phone call away if Denise needs anything. Ben offers to bring over samples of Denise’s prescription until she can get it filled. Willa finds Peter on the phone with his travel agent. She suggests they wait—they will have dinner with Sean on Monday and Denise still needs help. Peter coldly makes a reservation for a Monday flight, upsetting Willa.

Denise worries that Cheryl isn’t showing enough concern for Denise’s injury. Willa reassures her that Cheryl is just a sensible child who understands that Denise is going to be okay. Willa secretly worries more about Cheryl’s longing for a father figure, noting how the girl crushes on Sir Joe and misses Sean. Willa asks about Cheryl’s father. Denise got pregnant with Cheryl while drunk in college and never told the father. She thought she’d have the baby and then finish school. Willa relates and explains her own story, but she knows having a husband meant their experiences were different. 

Willa is upset that Peter has kept his flight reservation for Monday; she wishes they weren’t leaving the next day. Willa apologizes for Peter, feeling that she’s spent much of her life apologizing for men. Willa asks if Denise and Sean considered marriage. Denise did, but she isn’t sure about Sean. 

Later, Callie brings over some food. As she and Denise talk, Cheryl asks Willa if she’s really leaving. Cheryl doesn’t think she’s strong enough to help Denise to the bathroom, and she won’t be able to go get groceries on her own. Willa decides to talk to Peter. Willa finds Peter reading the paper upstairs. Willa suggests they stay a few more days, but Peter believes Denise’s neighbors and coworkers can take over from here. Peter addresses Willa as “little one” and lectures her about trying to feel motherly again now that her children are grown and a disappointment. Willa is offended—they’re eating dinner with Sean tomorrow night. They argue until Willa says she’ll stay by herself so Peter can leave alone in the morning. He agrees. 

Later, Ben and Mrs. Minton drop by to check on Denise. Willa reveals she’s staying a few extra days, exciting Cheryl. Mrs. Minton tells Willa to cherish her husband and not stay away from him too long. Her own husband died reenacting Gettysburg. There are no married people on the street: Even Barry and Richard aren’t married. Willa, Mrs. Minton, and Ben commiserate about grief—all have spouses that died. Willa tells them about her father’s advice to break the day into moments, but she laments that she’s never been good at enjoying the moment. Denise is the opposite—she stretches vacations as long as possible. 

Peter was supposed to make chicken on the grill for dinner, but he doesn’t come downstairs, so Willa cooks it in the oven. Willa and Denise can tell he’s in a bad mood. When Denise asks if the arms can be removed from the wheeled typist’s chair, Willa expects Peter to answer, but he sits the conversation out. Willa decides she’ll try to do it herself. As Willa works on the typist chair, she remembers how her father used to fix things around her house when he’d visit.

Peter goes to bed early because he has a taxi coming the next morning. Willa, Cheryl, and Denise stay up late playing cards. When Willa goes to bed, she wishes Peter would invite her to cuddle for their last night together, but he’s either asleep or pretending to be. In the morning, he leaves without waking her or kissing her goodbye. Willa has a moment of panic, wondering where she is and what she’s doing there, but it passes, and she returns to sleep.

When Willa wakes up, she feels better about staying now that she won’t have to worry about Peter. She confirms dinner plans with Sean over email. She hopes Sean will offer her a ride.

Denise complains that Sean is taking Willa to a restaurant that she’d shown Sean when they were together: She let Sean try her order of crab fluff and he nearly finished the whole plate. Willa feels a wave of embarrassment for Sean. Denise is annoyed that Sean will be bringing Elissa to meet Willa, ranting about how uptight Elissa is. 

Patty and Laurie come over to play with Cheryl, and the girls have a great time running around the house and neighborhood together. At one point, Willa finds them doing the “clock dance,” where they move their hands around like a clock. Willa checks the time throughout the day to follow Peter’s flights. He doesn’t call her while connecting flights in Denver. 

While Willa writes out directions to the restaurant, Denise asks why Willa can’t ask Sean for a ride. Willa wishes Sean would offer—a passive tendency Denise calls doing things “slantwise.” Willa wonders why she goes at things slantwise, realizing that Peter should be home but he hasn’t called. She doesn’t know why she won’t just call him, and she makes excuses like maybe he’s napping.

Barry and Richard come over to babysit Cheryl and look after Denise while Willa’s gone. On her drive, Willa spots a plush rabbit holding a cardboard sign that reads “Did You Lose Me?” (211). Willa has seen it a few times now. She finds her way to the restaurant using her directions, and the drive is somewhat easier than she expected. 

At the restaurant, Sean recommends the crab fluff to Willa. Elissa is very prim, proper, and polite. She makes Willa miss Denise’s rougher edges. When Elissa mentions Denise getting shot, Willa is surprised that Elissa can casually talk about Denise. Sean believes Dorcas Road is in a bad part of town. He makes disparaging comments about some of the neighbors Willa has met. Willa doesn’t defend them, but she quietly acknowledges that Sean’s wrong about them. When Willa apologizes for Peter’s absence, Sean goes into a rant about Peter as well, commenting on Peter always criticizing everything and mocking his fussy habits.

When the topic comes up of how long Sean and Elissa have been dating, Elissa defends herself. She isn’t a bad person. She keeps up a facade for Hal’s in-laws, pretending to still be with Hal for family dinners every week. Sean thinks Elissa should tell them the truth, but Elissa wants Hal to tell them. Sean and Elissa share an apartment. Their first overnight visitor will be Ian, which Willa finds surprising. When Willa offers to pay for dinner, Sean accuses her of using Peter’s money. Willa asserts that she has her own money and pays.

Sean doesn’t walk Willa to her car. Willa is sad to learn that Ian didn’t tell her about his vacation or try to visit her. She looks forward to board games with Denise and Cheryl when she gets home.