In December, Haley asks Serena to read his short novel. She does, pretending that she has never read it before, and her negative opinion remains unchanged. They take a walk, and she mentions the story’s bleak, pessimistic perspective of humanity. Though she means this as a criticism, Haley thinks that she understands the story perfectly. Over Christmas, she accompanies him as he delivers the story to the publisher. They plan to spend Christmas apart with their respective families. After meeting the publisher, they walk through London and reminisce about their relationship. Over dinner, Haley confesses that he does not have any ideas for another novel. Instead, he is thinking about writing more academic articles and may return to teaching. Serena tries to gently convince him to continue writing without revealing the nature of her assignment. He changes the subject, and they talk about unrelated matters.

After dinner, Serena returns to her apartment to pack her bag before catching the train to her parents’ house. She walks from the station to her parents’ home and is struck by a bout of nostalgia. Her father answers the door, already dressed in his clerical clothes to deliver a sermon at midnight.