Ann is seated next to another woman on the plane and can't place where she knows her from until the woman gives her name, Bianca Sunderland, and it all comes back to her in a flash. She'd lived down the hall from the Sunderlands as a young woman in New York City, fresh from a small town in Massachusetts—a Catholic girl. Bianca had been ten or so, but Ann had interacted more with her parents, Hugh—a painter, handsome in a rugged way, and Edith, a talkative woman and aggressively giving. Once, Ann remembered going over for dinner, which wasn't much, as the Sunderlands had been rather poor. It had been an awkward experience, made worse by Hugh's asking her to give her opinion on a painting of his afterward, an experience which she overthinks later. She is afraid of being perceived as an uptight schoolgirl but is mortified when he asks her if the roots of his painted tree look phallic. Sometime later, he comes by in late evening, and she feels obligated to invite him in. He is clearly drunk, and is holding more alcohol. He confesses that his work had been passed over, and he wasn't getting the money he had hoped for. He hits on her, albeit without much determination, then leaves. Later, Edith knocks wildly on her door, asking about Hugh, who apparently hadn't been home all night. She tells Ann that she forgives her, that girls are often attracted to Hugh, but Ann denies all despite her fear and guilt. After, their relationships were never the same, and Ann began avoiding the Sunderlands. Bianca tells Ann the name of the nursing home where Edith is living now, but Ann forgets about it, not wanting to go. But one day, she finds herself walking past the home and recognizes the name from that scrap of paper Bianca had given her. Recognizing this as a second chance, she goes in. Edith doesn't seem to recognize her, and looks very frail. Ann sees a photo of a young Edith and Hugh, and Edith repeats her words about marrying into a life of voluntary poverty with Hugh.