Lina meets Aidan at a gas station; they talk in her car, then Lina performs oral sex on Aidan. It is the first time that Lina has enjoyed doing this for a man. Aidan reassures Lina that their relationship is more than just sex, but this sentiment is immediately belied when Lina confesses the depth of her feelings. Aidan responds by telling Lina that he does not want to hurt her, and that they should probably stop seeing each other. Lina tells Aidan that he’s not hurting her, but also privately reflects that she takes anxiety medication because of Aidan.

While Aidan is out of town on a work trip, Lina messages him with erotic fantasies about how much she wants him, and what she would do if she was there. Aidan asks for photos of her, and Lina refuses. He withdraws from the conversation, and Lina is crestfallen.

One day, Lina, bored of being in the big, quiet house, goes for a drive with her son, Danny. She reflects on her unhappiness with Ed, and on her relationship with her parents. Lina recognizes that her mother used to command her father to do chores around the house as a way of “making up for not being loved enough” (153).