Madeline arrives at Jane’s apartment after Jane’s distress over Ziggy’s family tree project. Madeline is glad to help because fixing another person’s problem feels easier than facing her own pain over Abigail living with Nathan and Bonnie. She reflects that Abigail’s move has left her feeling replaced as a mother, especially because Bonnie’s calm, television-free household seems to succeed where Madeline feels she has failed.

Madeline helps gather supplies and directs Ziggy to draw the tree. The project becomes difficult when Ziggy insists that Miss Barnes said he must write his father’s name in the father box. Jane tries to explain that Ziggy does not have a dad in his life and points to other male relatives, but Ziggy keeps demanding the name and fears getting in trouble.

Jane tells Ziggy that his father would have loved him if he had known him, but says she does not know his name. As Ziggy grows overtired and upset, Madeline intervenes, criticizes the rigid assignment in her thoughts, and suggests writing “Ziggy’s dad” instead. Ziggy complies, and Madeline quickly praises him, moves the project along, and takes him to bed before the conflict can escalate.

After Ziggy falls asleep, Jane apologizes and admits she had hoped the issue of Ziggy’s father would not arise until years later. Madeline comforts her, arguing that Ziggy has other loving men in his life and that the school’s idea of family is too narrow. Jane then quietly reveals that she does know Ziggy’s father’s name: Saxon Banks. When Madeline asks why Jane never contacted him, Jane says in a strained, joking tone that Saxon was not a nice man, prompting Madeline to ask what he did to her.