Chapter Two

Lena drops off Trey and friends after the match, pointedly avoiding prying about Kate. Returning home, Lena finds Rachel Holohan waiting with a cat carrier. After a quick check—just scratches—Rachel tearfully asks about Lena’s marriage, probing whether Sean isolated her. Lena corrects the gossip and warns that only spouses know a marriage. Rachel, upset about Eugene Moynihan’s push to change her friendships, seeks reassurance; Lena offers boundary-minded advice without inviting Ardnakelty’s entanglements.

Alone, Lena reflects on choosing inner distance long before Sean, resists calling Claire to avoid gossip, and recalls Sean’s consuming intensity versus her own contentment. She feeds her dogs and heads to Cal’s.

Meanwhile, Mart drives Cal from the pub, teasing about Bobby’s whirlwind romance with Róisín and forecasting wedding bells. The talk turns sober as Mart worries about his land’s “afterlife” without heirs and the risk of cousins selling to speculators; he half-jokes about Cal helping vet them.

At Cal’s, Lena and Trey prepare dinner while Cal cooks. They celebrate Trey’s defensive heroics. Trey asks Cal to teach her to drive, then reveals she asked Sam Murray to take her as an apprentice; he agreed. Cal praises the opportunity but urges finishing school first, sensing Trey’s eagerness to move on.

After Trey heads out with friends, Lena mentions hearing teasing about Trey and teammate Kate; Cal reels at the idea, fretting she’s too young, while Lena counsels patience and notes Kate seems kind. Cal worries about guidance he owes Trey but stands down.

Past one a.m., Trey returns, steady and cheerful. Over hot chocolate, she reports friend-group romances and asks why Cal resists the immediate apprenticeship. Cal says he supports it—just not yet. They negotiate a pause: Trey will at least finish the current school year, leaving the longer plan open.