Patty, a middle-aged lesbian woman, often experiences a unique sensation: random people feel completely comfortable opening up and sharing secrets with her. She reflects on this with her partner, Charlotte. Their car breaks down quite a bit, so Patty spends lots of time with Kevin, the car repair man who is also a recovering alcoholic. The couple are raising an infant daughter together. Charlotte is currently unemployed, though the pair is comfortable with this. Their daughter is mixed race and people can be rude to their family. One day, Patty's daughter is crying so she takes her on a drive. She stops at the auto shop to get some gas and speaks with Kevin. To her shock, he makes a very cutting comment about how everyone thinks they can be a parent nowadays and basically be fake about who they truly are. Patty responds by driving off silently. She takes her daughter to a lake and thinks about how she would have responded if she had been in New York; she would have been a lot ruder in response. Back at home, she tells Charlotte that she will never return to that auto parts shop again. She also reveals that she is not certain they should live in this area and that selling the house might be a good plan. Patty silently reflects on humiliating stories that Kevin has told her about his history with alcoholism. Charlotte ends up getting a part-time job and the two try to negotiate their schedule, as they only have one car. Patty picks up her daughter from day care one day and her car begins to break down. Kevin pulls up next to her in his own car and tells her to get a new one, even though Patty and Charlotte have hardly any money. He tries to help her fix the car, and when he makes a comment about digging around in the hood and possibly losing his hand, Patty tells him that she doesn't care. She also makes a snippy comment about how she is her daughter's fake parent. Kevin manages to fix the car, and when Patty asks him what she should pay him, he says fifty dollars--instead of telling her that it's free, which is the polite thing to do, as it took very little of his time. Patty realizes that she and Kevin will never truly be friends. Later, in the car with Charlotte, Patty continues to question how their daughter will grow up. Kids are not homophobic when they are infants, but they grow up and learn bigotry along the way. She tells Charlotte that she is naive. The two choose to ride in silence rather than fight.