Junior visits his cousin Aly's fiancé Josh at their cottage, ostensibly to watch a baseball game. He thanks Josh for unlocking Lauren's phone and confirms he successfully swapped the phones back at church, while deflecting Josh's prying questions about how things went with Lauren.

Junior reveals that his father wants him to head a new operation, which has accelerated his desire to get out of the mob. He asks Josh to dig up dirt on Patrick McKinney, owner of Velvet's building. Josh quickly uncovers that McKinney is sixty-eight, twice-married, diabetic, owns four buildings in the area, and has a serious gambling debt problem—a weakness Junior plans to exploit by buying his debts and applying pressure.

Feeling isolated and unable to confide in his brothers because of his manipulative father, Junior opens up to Josh, recounting his history with Lauren: their childhood, the fireworks night, Tommy's threats, his abandonment of her, and his decade of secret protection. He omits Tommy's disappearance and his personal interest in Velvet. Josh suggests Junior may be in love with Lauren, prompting Junior to question what grown-up love really feels like.

Junior admits Lauren asked for space after church, suspects he's ashamed of her, and wonders if he's already ruined things. Josh challenges him about whether he can truly accept Lauren's online work and points out Junior keeps making excuses to avoid commitment. Junior insists he's at peace with her career but fears hurting her again because hurting people is what he does.

Josh proposes a solution: Junior should bring Lauren to his and Aly's small engagement party that weekend, framing it casually as a barbecue. Only trusted people will be there, no other Troccis, providing a safe way for Junior to publicly claim Lauren. Junior considers it, needing only to convince her to come.