Along for the Ride

When Esther proclaims her car is dead, Auden and Maggie console her and ask if she can get a car loan, but Esther doesn’t want more than her student loan. Maggie recites intellectual financial advice about interest rates, loans, and credit unions, which impresses Auden. Maggie says she had to convince her mother to invest in bike equipment, so she studied finances. Similar to when Auden discovered Maggie was attending Defriese University like her, she is dazzled by her knowledge. Maggie also comments that her mom wanted her to be a certain way, but girls shouldn’t fall into an “either/or” category, such as being smart or pretty, or interested in girly items or sports, that girls are capable of more.

Auden and Eli develop a nightly routine. They start with coffee, run errands, eat pie at Clyde’s, and work on her quest items. Eli takes her to a dance club for her quest, though Auden is underage. Eli, who is 20, has a fake ID and tries to get Auden into the club, but the bouncer denies him—until he shares that Auden is on a quest, which earns them five minutes inside. Eli grabs Auden’s hand, and she feels a rush of natural, romantic closeness. Auden gets accustomed to the loud, vibrant dance club as Eli leads her to the dance floor. They dance to a slow song, fitting perfectly together. At the end of the song, Eli kisses her for the first time.

The next day, Robert is invited to a writing conference to promote his novel. Robert insists on attending, getting on a flight soon, and returning the next day. Heidi pleads with him, saying that she could use rest. Auden gets coffee while they argue in the kitchen. She’s tired of offering to make peace between them and watch Thisbe. She notices her father’s suitcase later, the sign he won and will attend the conference.

That night at the boutique, Maggie and Auden look for a customer’s special order, but they cannot find any record. Maggie doesn’t want to bother Heidi, but Auden says she’s likely awake. When Maggie calls, Auden misinterprets the noise from the phone as Thisbe crying, but it is Heidi sobbing. Worried, Auden heads home after work, rather than meeting Eli. She finds Heidi crying silently, tears streaming, as she rocks Thisbe on the couch. Auden tries to talk to Heidi, but she’s not responsive. She keeps crying uncontrollably, and Auden is frightened, taking Thisbe from her. Heidi curls into a ball, turning away on the couch.

Auden calls Eli for aid; he arrives with his mother, Karen, who has had four kids and worked as a maternity nurse. Karen takes control and comforts Heidi while Eli swaddles Thisbe with a blanket, which quiets the screaming baby. While Karen rocks Thisbe next, Heidi gets much-needed sleep. Auden and Eli kiss on the porch before he heads home.

Hollis and his girlfriend Laura are coming to visit, but Auden receives a call from her mother “warning” her about Laura. Though Victoria and Auden haven’t spoken since her disastrous trip, the conflict seems forgotten. Victoria rants that Laura is a scientist, superior, calculated, and full of boring work anecdotes. Auden says Hollis seems happy, but Victoria argues he likes everyone and is naturally happy.

Soon after, Hollis and Laura arrive. Heidi gasps that Laura looks just like Victoria: tall, black hair, pale skin, and straight posture. Fun-loving, extroverted Hollis embraces his father and holds Thisbe right away, cooing to her. Laura is colder, distant, and not one for hugs, also like Victoria. Auden isn’t emotional either, but she finds Laura too formal with a superior air, especially when Hollis excitedly shows her the ocean and she’s unimpressed. Later, Robert and Laura have heated discussions over university funding, capital punishment, and other profound topics, which triggers Auden to think her parents’ fights are being rekindled with Laura playing her mom.

That night, Hollis takes Auden for a sibling dinner. Hollis shares that Victoria is jealous of Laura, which bewilders Auden. He states that their mother has to be the smartest woman in the room, and Laura threatens her intelligence, though Victoria wanted Hollis to stop dating “vapid” girls. Hollis thinks Victoria’s reaction is hypocritical, especially since she turned down Finn, her grad student fling, who wanted a relationship. Auden learns Victoria has had multiple partners since the divorce.

Hollis reflects that the divorce was hard for Auden, and he’s sorry she had to go through it, but he loves seeing her happy with friends, a job, and a social life—not just studying. Auden thinks he got to travel to survive the divorce and be a kid, while she had to stay and skip childhood. He comments that Auden is changing this summer, thrilled she’s come out of her shell. He jokes that maybe she’ll even learn to ride a bike, though Auden insists that she knows how. Hollis remembers her riding once in the driveway, falling off, and then the bike collecting dust until their father sold it.

Victoria calls Auden and opens the Defriese University orientation packet to help complete the materials. Instead of answering the “absurd” questionnaire for roommate matching, Victoria marks that Auden wants to be in the solitary, studious dorms. Auden interrupts that she doesn’t want a “restrictive” environment, and Victoria says she is disappointed that her daughter isn’t taking herself seriously due to Heidi’s influence. Auden denies this assumption and demands Victoria mail her the packet. Victoria hangs up on her.

A newspaper route is Auden’s next quest item. Eli’s friend usually has this job, but he’s sick. Auden is terrible at throwing the papers and hard on herself for not succeeding. She shares that achievement is her life, and Eli advises her that it’s okay to not be talented at everything. He laughs that he’s failed at classes, dating, fixing his car, and influencing his brother Jake to be more respectful—but says failure is much better than not trying.

Auden throws a newspaper and hits Heidi’s car. Like many other papers, she has to move it. When she places the paper on the porch, Auden hears Robert and Heidi screaming. Robert didn’t think raising a baby would be so hard, and Heidi argues that he’s done this twice before. Unlike when she was younger and couldn’t avoid her parents’ sparring, she leaves. In the car, she unexpectedly sobs, and Eli comforts her.

He brings Auden to his apartment and bakes her Rice Krispie treats. Auden realizes that her real failure is that she couldn’t keep her parents together. Eli insists it’s not her fault, and their conversation drifts to Abe, his best friend, and his death. Eli tells her that his biggest failure was getting into that car accident. Auden mirrors his comfort, offering him solace that it wasn’t his fault either. They fall asleep in each other’s arms.

Auden awakens before Eli and thinks about writing him a note, but she can’t express how much the night before meant. She starts his coffee maker as a thank you, then walks home, where her father is in the foyer with a suitcase. Robert avoids her questions until he admits he’s going to stay at a hotel until he and Heidi solve their “complicated” relationship. Auden thinks this is a repeat of years before. Though she wants to speak up, to convince him to stay, Auden is speechless while he leaves.