Allegra has told her mother that Cherry has predicted her death by self-harm within the year. Allegra’s mother is worried. There is a history of depression in the family, and Allegra’s grandmother died by suicide, giving Allegra a recurring nightmare about walls closing in on her. Allegra, meanwhile, is sleeping with Jonny Summers, the pilot who threw her friend’s doughnut in the trash. He cooks for her and is vulnerable around her, and she is beginning to like him very much.

Cherry wants readers to know how she came to be the “Death Lady.” She mentions the importance of a dinner party and a ringing doorbell.

Leo is under pressure from his boss to budget his time, and Bridie is now failing in math. Neve worries that Leo works too much and that he’ll regret it when he is old.