37: Chris

While the group relaxes at the cabin, Chris checks the kitchen and finds Mike hasn’t removed nut products, heightening Chris’s exhaustion. Mike pulls Chris aside to show Larissa’s Christmas gift: Parisian macarons. Chris points out they’re made with almond flour—dangerous for Larissa’s severe allergy—while Mike admits their relationship is strained.

With stores closing on Christmas Eve, Mike panics. To prevent Larissa from having nothing to open and to avoid suspicion, Chris offers to go out alone to find a replacement. Outside, Chris has a panic attack, consumed by fear that Mike’s carelessness could harm Larissa and by the intensity of his secret love.

Chris regains control and searches town, finding a hydro planter that suits Larissa’s love of cooking. He buys it, returns, wraps it himself, and instructs Mike to keep the macarons away from the cabin to avoid contamination.

Alone, Chris realizes he is enabling Mike by continually fixing his mistakes, yet feels trapped because stopping could risk Larissa’s safety. Torn between duty and pain, he considers moving away to end the cycle and retreats to bed, avoiding everyone.