August 1999

On a secluded Sausalito beach, Lucky and “Alex” trade intimate histories and future dreams, deepening their bond, until Reyes’s appearance unsettles Lucky. That night, Priscilla probes Lucky over iced tea, and Lucky lies about a female friend. On the dock, Reyes confronts her: Alex is actually Cary Matheson—Priscilla’s son—and a longtime liar.

Shaken, Lucky calls Cary, who admits the deception and begs to explain, but she ends the relationship. The next morning, Lucky demands the truth from Reyes, who reveals that Priscilla’s “San Fran Foster Kids Association” is a sham call-center charity and that the money flow is growing dangerous.

Suspicious and worried about John, Lucky tails Reyes and John to the office building housing the charity, confirms its listing, and then returns to the marina. Soon after, John phones in a panic, instructing Lucky to open a lockbox with a code hidden under his mattress. Police descend on the office; Reyes and John are arrested, while Priscilla is nowhere in sight. Back on the boat, Lucky opens the lockbox, finds cash and John’s letter telling her to go alone, stay quiet, and not claim him.

As Lucky prepares to run, Cary arrives with a starving rescue puppy, Betty, and confesses he pursued Lucky after hearing about her from Priscilla. He pleads for forgiveness, promises honesty, and argues they can build a life together. Lonely and reeling, Lucky accepts Betty’s leash and leaves with Cary for Priscilla’s empty mansion on The Hill.

Weeks later, news reports dub them the “Foster Kid Fakers.” Priscilla seeks a plea deal by informing on her late husband’s criminal associates; Reyes faces up to five years; John, with priors, faces twenty-five-to-life. Cary uses Priscilla’s bail funds to cover Lucky’s tuition and cooks while she studies, then pitches a scheme to get them out from under Priscilla before her release, reigniting Lucky’s anxieties even as she tries to focus on school.