Frankie lets herself into the Big House through the side door and finds Mimi in the bright sitting room, smoking, listening to classical music, and flipping through Vogue. The familiar grandeur of the house and Mimi's theatrical presence draw Frankie back into old memories of childhood, when she and George spent their afternoons there and turned the house into a private world of costumes and games.

The conversation quickly turns to Frankie's emotional state. Mimi bluntly notes that Frankie was supposed to be married by now, and Frankie admits that although she says she is all right, her life often feels as if it has fallen apart. Remembering the last two months of heartbreak, self-blame, financial strain, and loneliness, Frankie receives Mimi's practical advice to endure things one day at a time, breathe, and trust that pain passes.

Mimi's mention of ballet makes Frankie laugh, and the memory of being dismissed from Mimi's childhood dance lessons reinforces how long and how intimately the older woman has known her. Mimi then says she never believed Nate was the right man for Frankie, aligning herself with George's likely opinion. That pushes Frankie to admit that no one knows her better than George and that she wishes they could return to the way they once were.

Mimi answers that going backward is impossible: Frankie and George are no longer children, and life only moves forward. To explain her point, Mimi reflects on her own years of grief after losing her husband and becoming estranged from her son and grandson. George's moving in revived both Mimi and the neglected estate, showing Frankie that renewal can come after long periods of loss.

The conversation ends with the two women openly sharing how much they miss George. Frankie wishes George would come home for good, even while recognizing that his restless work will always pull him away. When Frankie says she feels she has returned to the beginning, Mimi reframes that return as a possible starting point and hints that something better may be coming.