Frankie wakes by Mimi's pool to find George standing over her with a soda. Delighted, she throws herself at him despite their long-standing physical reserve as adults. As they fall back into familiar teasing, Frankie notices George's new haircut, glasses, and cologne, and their banter briefly restores the easy spark she has missed.

That lightness shifts when George studies Frankie's appearance and bluntly says she looks terrible. Frankie covers her hurt with jokes and insists she is fine, but George reveals that Aurora has been worried about her and says he is worried too. When George asks how they are going to fix things, Frankie bristles at being treated like something damaged and accuses him of pitying her.

The argument deepens into the real issue: Frankie feels abandoned. She reminds George that when her engagement collapsed two months earlier, he left for work instead of taking her with him, and she says he has effectively been absent for years. George defends himself at first, then apologizes for how he behaved at Christmas, but Frankie is still struggling with the larger fear that their bond has changed and that she is losing him.

Even while she is angry, Frankie recognizes that George still feels like home and that their history gives them a deep understanding of each other. George asks for forgiveness, and Frankie half-jokingly puts him on probation instead. The mood softens when George admits he is desperate for an adventure, invoking the language of the many childhood escapes they once shared.

George then makes his real offer: he wants the two of them to run away to Tofino, using the honeymoon Frankie never took after her wedding fell apart. Frankie realizes the trip would give her exactly what she needs: movement, adventure, and a chance to rebuild their friendship. She agrees immediately, and the chapter ends with George pleased that she accepted before he had to deliver the speech he had prepared.