Alice Kelleher patiently waits in a hotel bar for her date, Felix, whom she connected with on a dating app. As they engage in light conversation and enjoy their drinks, their first-date questions remain simple. Alice mentions her profession as an author, while Felix modestly reveals that he works in a warehouse, considering it unexciting. As they stroll together towards the rectory where Alice is staying, their conversation falls into extended silences, with Alice being the one to initiate most of the questions and Felix responding with minimal words. Alice shares her fortunate situation of not having to pay rent for the house, capturing Felix's interest. She shows him her bedroom, and although he politely shows interest in the house, he is most intrigued by her ability to take advantage of the rent-free arrangement. Felix attempts to inquire about Alice's writing topics, but her vague response diminishes his curiosity. Eventually, the two part ways for the evening after awkwardly failing to decipher each other's nonverbal cues.
Alice chooses to document her existence and preserve her friendship with Eileen through email correspondence. She playfully scolds Eileen for working too hard and describes the aesthetically unappealing view of the Dublin streets, where nothing obstructs the sight of the sky, likening it to a memento mori. Alice's email delves into musings about the philosophies of fascism and conservatism in relation to the environment, particularly climate change. She recounts a brief moment of nausea she experienced while having lunch in a local shop, reflecting on the abject poverty caused by mass-produced goods and plastic packaging. Describing her rural daily life as both cold and damp yet
character-building, Alice concludes her email by expressing her hope for Eileen to visit her soon.
Eileen spends her day working in a shared office in Dublin, fully engrossed in copyediting documents to ensure grammatical consistency. During her lunch break, she meets Simon at a cafe, who, although in a hurry, offers her a coffee in exchange for her company and advice. Teasing him about his preference for younger romantic partners, Eileen playfully remarks, "Your girlfriends are never middle-aged." Simon confides in her about a friend dealing with a complicated love situation, seeking her guidance, but she can only offer a sympathetic wince in response.
The rest of Eileen's day blends together in a blur of indistinct busywork until she commuteshome. She microwaves her dinner and changes into more comfortable attire. Engaging in some online stalking, she explores her ex, Aidan's, social media profiles. Memories resurface from when she was 25 and learned about Simon's breakup with his girlfriend in Paris. Following the breakup, Eileen and Simon engaged in a sexual encounter, but Simon remained emotionally distant. Eventually, Eileen moved in with Aidan, a sound engineer. However, after several years, they parted ways, leaving Eileen feeling lonely, especially as her sister, Lola, prepares for her wedding. Eileen laments the departure of her friends from Dublin and a general sense of unhappiness in her life.
In her letter to Alice, Eileen ponders the weight of capitalism and the wasteful lifestyle driven by excessive consumption. She reflects, "At the moment, I believe we are living through a historical crisis, a sentiment shared by many." Eileen comments on the inaccessibility of contemporary culture due to the absence of a "present moment," making the present feel disjointed. She delves into the Late Bronze Age and contemplates a political theory related to societal collapse, drawing parallels to the current era with triggers like oligarchic centralization, top-heavy political structures, and climate change.
While Felix grabs a pre-packaged lunch at a convenience shop, Alice browses through the vegetables in the same store. Their eyes meet, and they both make an effort to tidy their appearances. Initially awkward, Felix invites Alice to a house party that evening. However, upon arriving at the party, Felix seems distant and fails to greet her warmly. They explain to Felix's friends that they had gone on a date, which did not go well. Felix expresses annoyance at the attention Alice receives, accusing her of thinking highly of herself. His ex-girlfriend, Danielle, rebukes him for his touchiness. Felix invites Alice to join himin the garden for a smoke, where he reveals that he used to date Danielle and takes responsibility for their breakup, admitting that he was cold towards her. Alice opens up about her past stay in a psychiatric hospital, and Felix sympathizes, sharing his own struggle with depression following his mother's death. In a spontaneous move, Alice invites Felix to join her on an upcoming work trip to Rome, with all expenses covered, and he accepts the offer.
Alice begins her letter contemplating the direction her life has taken and expressing her dissatisfaction, wondering why things have turned out the way they have. She discusses fame as a pathological desire that has corrupted society and negatively impacted her personally. Alice questions the connection between herself and her written works, pondering the influence of her personality on her books. She muses that if she were an unpleasant person, it should have no bearing on the quality of her writing. Alice feels disheartened by the assumption of personal familiarity based on her work, compounded by the expectation to monetize her talent, which she finds frustrating. She reflects on Eileen's argument about the collapse of the Late Bronze Age and mentions the lost writing system, Linear B. Concluding the letter, Alice confesses that she invited Felix to Rome impulsively because it would be enjoyable, acknowledging that he might perceive her as eccentric and admitting her concern about others' opinions, despite her aversion to being superficially labeled.
On Thursday evening, Eileen attends a poetry reading event, where she encounters an elderly man who awkwardly flirts with her. Later, she goes for drinks with her friend Paula at a nearby bar, and they discuss their past difficult breakups. Eileen reflects on feeling boring to Aidan and how it seemingly affected their relationship, while Paula questions the notion of boredom as a unilateral reason for a breakup. Close to midnight, Eileen calls Simon, who is in London, and engages in teasing banter with him. They discuss the concept of a "little wife" who would take care of Simon's well-being both emotionally and sexually. Eileen mentions Alice's remark about Aidan's breakup not being that bad, attempting to elicit a reaction from Simon. They continue flirting and engage in a sexually suggestive conversation, referring to the hypothetical perfect wife. As they talk, they both masturbate, with Eileen describing the ideal wife's appearance but subtly hinting ather own potential involvement. After Simon reaches climax, they end the call, and Eileen quietly masturbates before falling asleep.
In her next letter, Eileen questions Alice about her workload, considering the upcoming trip to Rome. She admits to being in a melancholic mood while writing and compares her financial situation, with a significant portion of her income going towards rent, to Alice's more affluent lifestyle, living in a rent-free luxurious space. Eileen digresses, mentioning feeling depressed after spending too much time on the internet. She reflects on society's obsession with categorizing identities as a means of assigning moral judgments and organizing labor and resources. Eileen laments the decay of political vocabulary and the difficulty of comprehending the irrationality of the present historical moment. She expresses a desire to live in a less bleak society but struggles to identify ideas worth fighting for. She suggests that observing the immense human suffering unfolding before them might naturally lead to solutions for exploitation. Eileen introduces her own theory, proposing that the aesthetic impulse was lost in 1976 with the prevalence of "ugly" plastic. The topic shifts to Alice's evasiveness regarding Felix, but Eileen's attention eventually turns to Simon's love
life before concluding with a request for Alice to visit her soon.
Alice's letter promptly reveals her belief that her relationship with Felix carries a sexual undertone, prompting a discussion about the broader scope of sexuality beyond mere physical intimacy. She comments on the limited ways society talks about sexuality, primarily focusing on the process of accepting one's sexual orientation. Alice reflects on metaphysical representations of relationships, envisioning fluids poured into vessels of different shapes based on the nature of the connection. She applies this concept to her relationship with Felix, emphasizing the absence of boundaries or conventions that would normally constrain their dynamic. Alice shares her intrigue in pursuing this relationship as an experiment, highlighting the lack of expectations or predefined structures. She then addresses Eileen's theory about beauty, suggesting that the loss of aesthetic instinct occurred when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. With dark humor, Alice acknowledges their unfortunate timing of being born when the world supposedly ended. She concludes with a contemplative tone, stating that they are witnessing something significant in the last illuminated room before darkness engulfs them. The exact nature of what they bear witness to remains unknown.
Alice's letter immediately acknowledges that despite notyet being physically intimate with Felix, she perceives a sexual undercurrent in their relationship. This realization sparks a philosophical conversation about the vastness of sexuality beyond its physical manifestations. Alice criticizes the limited discourse surrounding sexuality, focusing on the process of coming to terms with one's orientation. She contemplates the metaphysical aspects of relationships, using the metaphor of pouring water into vessels to illustrate different types of connections. Alice expresses her curiosity about Felix and her willingness to pursue this relationship as an experiment, free from conventional boundaries. She discusses Eileen's theory on beauty and proposes an alternative idea, suggesting that the loss of aesthetic instinct occurred with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. She humorously remarks on the unfortunate timing
of their generation, born in a world that seemingly came to an end. Alice then critiques the contemporary Euro-American novel as an irrelevant pursuit, with authors more concerned about reviews than portraying "ordinary" life. She questions the purpose of a novel, criticizing the act of juxtaposing main characters' lives with the lived reality of poverty and misery. Alice concludes by theorizing that novels suppress the truth of the world, burying it beneath a glittering surface. She ends the letter by encouraging Eileen to embrace life rather than sacrificing herself for a potential revolution.
On a Saturday evening, Eileen runs errands dressed in a cotton dress and leather jacket. She catches the attention of men, but she responds with a vague smile and averts her gaze. Eileen's mother, Mary, calls and asks her to inquire about wedding invitations from Lola, anticipating a potential argument. Lola texts Eileen, criticizing her as "immature" and highlighting her financial struggles and living conditions at the age of 30. Eileen takes a bus to a bar to join friends celebrating a birthday. During the gathering, they discuss communism and share stories about the challenging rental market, despite not all of them coming from working-class backgrounds. Eileen feels frustrated that her job at a literary magazine leads people to assume she is bourgeois, while her salary barely meets the basic living expenses. Eventually, the group engages in circular discussions about political identities until the party gradually loses its energy.
On her way home, Eileen comes across a social media photo of her ex, Aidan, with another woman. This discovery prompts her to change her direction and find herself at Simon's apartment justminutes before midnight. She asks him if she can sleep in his bed, and although Simon is slightly confused, he agrees. Later, they have sex, and Eileen expresses her love for him while he evades a direct response. After their intimate moment, she thanks him. As morning arrives, a rectangle of white daylight seeps through the edges of the blinds. Since it's Sunday morning, Eileen requests to join Simon for Mass. After the Mass ends, they find themselves smiling mysteriously on the street, basking in the cool and bright Sunday morning. The sunlight reflects off the white building facades. They bid farewell with a kiss.
In her letter, Eileen poses a broad theoretical question about the contemporary novel and its connection to contemporary life. She believes that modern life appears vulgar, decadent, and even epistemically violent. She questions the value of investing energy in the trivial aspects of sex and friendship when human civilization is on the verge of collapse. Eileen wonders if engaging in existential theorizing is a way to avoid investing emotional resources in real relationships with friends and lovers. She updates Alice about her experience of sleeping with Simon, expressing her mixed feelings and confusion. Eileen recounts how Simon attended Mass the following morning, and she accompanied him out of jealousy, questioning whether she is bitter that his love for God seems to surpass his affection for her. She finds Catholic rituals peculiar but is simultaneously impressed by Simon's sincere participation in them. Eileen acknowledges the absurdity of Catholic religiosity, even comparing it to worshiping a turtle as the son of God, but she appreciates the ritualistic aspects of the Mass. She describes the Mass as strangely romantic, hoping Alice understands what she means. Eileen expresses her confusion regarding the parable of the woman washing Jesus's feet with her hair. In response to Alice's thoughts on sexuality, she recommends Audre Lorde's essay "Uses of the Erotic" for further exploration.
Later that night, they are in bed, discussing their sexual fantasies. Felix asks Alice about her fantasy, and she admits that she likes to imagine him deeply desiring her. They both shyly flirt and touch each other until Felix comments that Alice is intimidating, which offends her and cools the mood. He points out her sense of superiority, stating that when she gets angry, she can act condescending. They talk about their time in Rome and whether they thought about each other while in separate rooms. They have sex, and Alice asks if it's okay that she feels nervous while looking "at one another uncertainly then - Alice perhaps uncertain of what he was thinking, Felix maybe uncertain of what the question signified".
Alice is overjoyed by Eileen's news of sleeping with Simon, believing she deserves romance. She confesses her suspicion that Simon loved Eileen but refrained from mentioning it. Alice recounts her conversation with Felix, expressing her immediate inclination to forgive his past. However, she realizes she cannot act as an unbiased observer and absolve him of his wrongdoings. This leads her to question whether her feelings are truly forgiveness or something more elusive like pity or empathy. Alice ponders the idea of whether there will be any people left if we punish all the truly bad individuals. She discusses a parable about a woman, traditionally believed to be Mary Magdalene, that Eileen heard in Mass. Alice notes that the woman's only distinguishing characteristic in the story is her sinful life, finding the tale peculiar and erotic. Alice informs Eileen that she finally slept with Felix, sarcastically remarking about writing another email concerning sex and friendship while humanity faces extinction. She wonders what else is worth living for.
Simon's empty apartmenton a Monday evening. The omniscient narrator describes the room in silence as the light fades. Eventually, Simon enters the apartment while talking on the phone. He hangs up, makes himself tea, and receives a distracting text from Eileen. They exchange playful banter, with Eileen teasing Simon for his old-fashioned texting style. The television screen reflects the light from the ceiling bulb, and Simon arranges for a cab to bring Eileen to his place. Later, they sit on the couch, casually playing chess and flirting. Eileen playfully admits to enjoying being bossed around by Simon, expressing her willingness to have him guide her life. Simon calls her "princess," which turns her on. Eileen reveals her enjoyment of being a "good girl" for Simon in bed, and they proceed to have sex on the couch. Eileen confesses her love for Simon, but he remains silent in response. She questions his reaction, and he awkwardly affirms his liking for it. While slow to say "I love you," Simon expresses his romanticism by assuring Eileen that he wouldn't let God separate them and values their friendship above all else. Eileen asks if he's happy with her presence on a platonic level, and he insists that their connection is not merely
platonic. However, Eileen wonders if she holds a unique place in Simon's romantic life, considering his guarded nature and smooth demeanor. Simon admits to having a "Messiah complex" and finds pleasure in providing for others, mentioning that he falls in love with a girl when she asks him to open a jar of jam. After their intimate encounter, they share ice cream and joke about a fictional wife Eileen has invented for Simon. He romantically dismisses this wife, asserting that she pales in comparison to Eileen. Yet, he does not explicitly declare his love. The scene concludes with them closing the bedroom door, and Eileen's laughter can be heard softly as the sky brightens outside the east-facing living room window, transitioning from black to blue and then to silvery white.
Eileen writes a letter to Alice reflecting on their conversation about the collapse of the Late Bronze Age and contemplating the meaning of civilization. She questions how many people actually lived in palaces, wore lavish jewelry, drank from bronze cups, and enjoyed pomegranates during that time. Eileen finds solace in the idea that even after the apparent end of civilization, ordinary peoplecontinue to live their lives in a similar way. This realization offers relief from the misery of human existence, leading her to believe that the essence of life is simply to live and connect with others. Eileen shifts the topic to a "life book" she started, which captures aesthetic moments through writing.
Initially, finding beauty in everyday life was easy for her, but as time went on, she began missing days and failed to recognize new beautiful moments. She concludes that her previous appreciation of the world's beauty was attributed to the possibilities of youth, when she believed anything was possible and there were people out there who would love, admire, and make her happy. Eileen describes a fleeting moment of bliss she experienced on her way home from a book launch, where she felt a radiant beauty emanating from beyond the visible world, illuminating everything.
On a Friday evening in May, Felix finishes work and drives to an empty
lot near the sea, where he rolls a joint. Ignoring texts from Damian that he has been ignoring for weeks, he contemplates sending a flirty message on a dating app but changes his mind and calls Alice instead. Their interaction is slightly awkward, and Alice questions why she hasn't heard from him in a while. Felix takes a moment to think and mumbles that he's not seeking serious commitments, suggesting that Alice doesn't care about him anyway. However, Alice asserts that she does care about him, leading to a back-and-forth exchange. Alice invites Felix to have a drink and watch Netflix, but he falls asleep on her couch before they can choose a film. Waking up two hours later close to midnight, Felix finds Alice in the kitchen illuminated by the fridge light. She's on the phone with a writer friend, and when she notices Felix, she says her goodbyes. Felix apologizes for not replying to her texts and for not thanking her for the trip to Italy. He asks if he can stay the night, and she tells him he can if he wants. Seeking clarity, Felix asks if Alice genuinely wants him there or if she simply finds it tolerable. Alice affirms that she wants him there, and they share a kiss. Felix ignores another call from Damian and requests oral sex from Alice. They engage in more sexual activity before settling beside each other, satisfied. Alice asksFelix to share everything about himself.
Alice writes her next letter from Paris, where she is traveling to receive an award. She visits the Mus?e d'Orsay and reflects on portraits of Berthe Morisot, a muse of Edouard Manet. Alice admires the art, particularly appreciating the need for interpretive or intellectual work to perceive Morisot's beauty. She draws a parallel between the end of the artistic collaboration between Morisot and Manet when she married his brother and the situation between Eileen and Simon.
Alice comments on the overwhelming amount of art in museums, which often leads to missing valuable works while searching for the bathrooms. She briefly describes her busy day and then delves into her fascination with Christianity, viewing God as a favored fictional character. Similarly, she recognizes the appeal of heterosexual monogamy but believes it to be disconnected from and incompatible with true love. Alice disagrees with Eileen's perspective on persisting beyond the end of civilization, viewing herself as an "artefact" of culture
- a fleeting bubble on the brim. She believes that when civilization disappears, so will she, and she's unsure if she minds.
On a Friday morning, Eileen goes through her usual workday routine, including writing essays and enjoying a satirical news segment with her coworkers. Her sister, Lola, texts her, bringing up her romantic life. After work, Eileen argues with her mother on the phone about Lola's immature behavior, leading Eileen to mention the possibility of marrying Simon one day. However, her mother dismisses it as a fantasy, though she claims to love and respect Eileen. Following the call, Eileen texts Simon, who is away on a work trip. Lola texts Eileen, expressing her disdain for Simon's religious nature. Lola continues to bully Eileen through text messages, causing Eileen to drop her phone and feel overwhelmed. Slowly, she calms herself, and the breath returns to the room, mingling with the air.
The next evening, Eileen attends a party at her friend Paula's house, where people gossip about one of Simon's love interests named Caroline. Simon arrives from his work trip, giving hugs to others but only shaking hands with Eileen. Eileen observes a girl touching his collar and decides to leave. The living room window of Paula's house is illuminated, emitting warm golden light and the muted sounds of music and voices. Simon rushes after Eileen, unaware of the reason for her distress, and starts walkingher home. Sensing her mood, he accuses her of being unfair in their situation and not understanding what she wants. Eileen responds with a comment about his Christian behavior, which Simon asks her to explain. She laughs nervously and admits her foolishness. Eileen reaches home, crying on her bed. She drafts angry and apologetic texts but ultimately erases both before falling asleep.
In another letter, Eileen questions why Alice is on yet another work trip so soon. She expresses her belief that civilization has come to an end, leading to a decline in both quality of life and aesthetic experiences. Eileen feels disconnected and finds the world to be an "uglier place," causing her to feel intellectually adrift and disoriented. She attributes
these sentiments to losing the naive idealism of her youth, where she imagined her significance.
Eileen distinguishes between genuine aesthetic experiences and contrived capitalist notions of beauty, emphasizing that conflating the two is a grave mistake for anyone who values culture. She recalls a time when she wrote a successful essay on Natalia Ginzburg, receiving interest from a publisher. However, she avoided pursuing the opportunity out of fear of failure, drawing a parallel to her previous relationship with Aidan, which left her feeling depressed despite it not working. The letter concludes with Eileen imagining her ideal existence - a house surrounded by flowers and trees, a nearby river, a room filled with books, and someone to love her.
On Wednesday night, Alice meets Felix and his friends at a bar called The Sailor's Friend. They walk back to Felix's house together, and they engage in passionate sex. The next day, Felix goes to work at the warehouse while Alice has a lengthy phone call with her agent. Felix plans to return to Alice for dinner but decides to go for drinks with his work friends instead. After getting drunk and vomiting, he texts Alice for a hookup. When Felix returns to the rectory, Alice accuses him of embarrassing her and thinking she's a fool. Felix denies this and acknowledges Alice's intelligence, but he insults her by suggesting that she could have an easier life if she were slightly less intelligent. They argue, but they eventually start kissing. Felix hesitates, struggling to reconcile his physical experiences - the body that works at the warehouse and the body that touches Alice. They have passionate sex, and Felix asks Aliceabout her wealth. Alice claims to be a millionaire, and Felix brings up her lack of friends. This hurts Alice, and Felix continues insulting her, stating that nobody really cares about her. Alice accuses Felix of hating her, and he admits that he doesn't love her either. Alice invites him to stay the night despite his rudeness. Felix accuses her of acting sanctimonious and condescending, but he apologizes while still defending his previous comments. As they fall asleep, Felix tells Alice that he won't chase her too much and will wait to see if she comes to him. Alice remarks that he sounds like a hunter waiting to kill a deer, indicating her wariness about his intentions and the fear of getting hurt.
In her letter, Alice apologizes to Eileen for causing worry with her busy schedule but defends her work as a tiresome and degrading necessity. She counters Eileen's thoughts on aestheticism, suggesting that aesthetic experiences may not require such serious scrutiny. Alice discusses aesthetic judgment from Enlightenment philosophy and challenges Eileen's critique of consumer beauty, questioning who should care if beauty is found in classic paintings or luxury handbags. Alongside visual art, Alice talks about reading as an emotionally involved and active process that requires applying aesthetic judgment. She notes that engaging with a story necessitates the reader's sympathy for the characters. Alice believes that these complex sympathies toward humanity reflect an invitation for contemplation of the divine. She compares aesthetic and artistic passion to religious devotion, suggesting that loving fictional characters who can never love us in return serves as a practice of personally disinterested love similar to what Jesus calls for. Alice describes desire as a selfless urge, not merely wanting, and reflects on her past emphasis on material conditions, such as traveling the world and living a glamorous life. She theorizes that this focus stemmed from her lack of understanding about loneliness and unhappiness being ordinary feelings experienced by everyone. Alice reveals that she wrote most of her work after a difficult breakup, feeling an intense desire to bring something into being. She concludes that it is better to love something rather than nothing, attempting to view life as a special gift rather than enduring pain and suffering.
On the morning of Lola's wedding, Eileen and Lola are together, and Eileen reflects on childhood moments, recalling the joys and possibilities they held. However,she feels an underlying unease and troubled melancholy. Eileen's parents also contemplate the passage of time, sometimes happily and sometimes with sadness. Eileen experiences a sense of sadness as she watches her friends move away to different cities over time. She ponders that life used to hold meaning for her, but she struggles to recall what it was. Eileen remembers a rainy afternoon in her youth when she, Lola, and Simon got caught in the rain, and
Simon promised they would be friends forever. Years later, they slept together for the first time, and Eileen reminisces about the beauty that Simon brought into her life during a challenging period when Alice was sick and Aidan left. As the wedding party arrives at the church, Eileen catches sight of Simon watching her, and their mutual gaze carries a wealth of subtext. All the phone calls, messages, looks, smiles, and stories they shared pass between them. Eileen smiles tenderly at him while both silently wonder about their connection and question each other's feelings. Eileen tells Simon that she will return, and he assures her he will be waiting.
In a brief email to Alice, Eileen reports that the wedding was beautiful and shares that she and Simon are traveling to meet Alice. She wonders how life would have unfolded if Simon had proposed to her years ago, theorizing that things might have turned out differently. However, she concludes that people are who they are, and that's that. Eileen reflects on the first day she met Alice, contemplating whether life is predetermined and if their friendship was destined. She briefly mentions her excitement to gossip about the "juicy novel" The Golden Bowl with Alice.
The chapter begins with Eileen and Alice reuniting, embracing tightly on a train platform. In that moment, they are oblivious to the surroundings and encapsulate a hidden reality beneath the surface of life - a presence of a beautiful world. That evening, Felix comes home from work, and Eileen and Simon join him in the kitchen. Candles are lit, and the back window is fogged with steam, creating a velvety blue glass. After dinner, they engage in light conversation while tidying up and preparing dessert. Felix steps outside for a smoke, leaving Alice and Simon to clean dishes and discuss work. Alice opens up about a falling out with her family at the hospital, cracking a jokeand asking Simon about Eileen. Simon dismisses her questions, expressing his unhappiness and describing his life as an "old life of quiet desperation" these days. The rest of the evening winds down comfortably, with Alice and Eileen
listening to the laughter and conversation of their companions. In bed, Alice asks Felix to spend time with her friends the next day, and he agrees with a shrug.
On a sunny Tuesday morning, the four friends pack a picnic for the beach. Felix and Simon have a conversation in the water about work, and Felix admits to avoiding selling their late mother's house at his brother's request. He asks Simon about his political career, and Simon shares that he often thinks about other things even while at work. They observe women on the shore, and Felix remarks about them. Back on the beach, Alice asks Eileen about her situation with Simon, but Eileen evades the question and accuses Alice of being intrusive. Alice believes that Simon loves Eileen, but Eileen is more concerned about losing his friendship if things don't work out. In the afternoon, Felix goes to work, and the remaining three friends stroll the streets. Felix performs a repetitive action with precision while operating the trolley.
At 6:45 am, Felix turns off his work alarm, and he and Eileen chat in the kitchen. However, Felix unintentionally insults Eileen by questioning her low salary and why she didn't visit the rectory earlier if she is such good friends with Alice. Eileen becomes upset and asks why Alice didn't travel to see her. In the evening, the four friends attend a birthday party at Felix's ex-girlfriend's place, and Felix jokingly warns them not to be overly intellectual. During a smoke break, Felix asks Simon about Eileen's bad mood, but Simon remains tight-lipped and offers a resigned smile. Confused by Simon's demeanor, Felix accuses him of trying too hard to be like Jesus in his romantic life. Damian arrives at the party and confronts Felix, leading to a heated exchange between him and Alice. Felix questions why Alice intimidates people, and she takes offense. They discuss the nature of their romantic relationship until Felix sings a traditional song, captivating Alice with his performance. The four friends leave the party late at night.
During the car ride home, Felix asks Alice if she plans on buying the rectory, upsetting Eileen, whodoesn't want Alice to move to the countryside permanently. Eileen retreats to her bedroom, closing the curtain with her face reflected in the window's faint grey ellipse. After a moment, she goes back to the kitchen and finds the others smoking and discussing their families. Eileen reveals that her parents don't think highly of Alice because they believe she has been a bad friend for not keeping Eileen informed during her hospitalization. This leads to an argument between Alice and Eileen, with Simon caught in the middle. Alice accuses Simon of having a martyr complex and being self-important. She also lashes out at Felix before feeling ashamed and apologizing. Felix tells Alice that he loves her for the first time, comforting her. Upstairs, Eileen expresses her frustrations to Simon, feeling unloved and alone. Simon finally realizes that Eileen has wanted a bold declaration of love all along and assures her that Alice isn't leaving her forever. They reconcile, and Eileen meets Alice on the staircase, and they hug and apologize to each other. Eileen explains her hurt, expressing a desire for their youth and closeness to remain unchanged. Alice asks if they can still be friends, and Eileen agrees.
Alice's final letter arrives to Eileen about 18 months after their summer visit. Alice apologizes for losing track of time due to work and provides updates on her and Felix's activities during the COVID pandemic lockdown. She shares her growing belief in God, not as a devout Catholic but as a believer in the abstract concepts of goodness and love. This newfound inner peace helps alleviate some stress from her writing work.
In Eileen's last letter, she reveals that she is expecting a baby around the following July, and Simon is incredibly excited about it. She acknowledges the challenges of having a baby during a pandemic but feels happier and hopeful about the world's possibilities. Although she
never seriously considered this life for herself, she believes that throughout history, civilizations have continued to give birth and carry on, and she feels grateful for her one life and the experience of expecting a baby with the boy she grew up with.