We All Live Here

Gene secures two new roles. Lila tells herself to be happy for him but isn’t sure that she’ll ever see him as her father. That evening, she feels distracted from Bill’s questions about his upcoming dinner date with Penelope. Then, Jensen appears on the doorstep to talk. He suggests that he and Lila meet up again, but she insists that she’s too busy at the moment.

That evening, Lila misses Francesca when Penelope comes over to see Bill. She, Gene, and the girls go out to eat to give him and Penelope space. She’s surprised when the girls talk openly with Gene and even more so when Anoushka calls to announce Regent’s six-figure offer. Gene and the girls congratulate her, pushing her for details about the book. Lila realizes that writing about her personal life might be more complicated than she thought. On the walk home, she imagines her daughters reading the book and inviting Gabriel to spend the night. When they return home, Penelope and Bill end their date, and Bill walks her home. When he returns moments later, Gene insists that Bill go back and kiss Penelope. Bill takes his advice.

Over the following days, Lila continues writing her book and texting Gabriel. While working one day, Dan calls to ask about switching weekends and collecting the girls’ baby things. Lila lies and says that she threw them all out. Afterward, she loads the baby paraphernalia into her car to bring them to the dump, but her car—a vintage Mercedes that she bought in memory of Francesca—won’t start. When Jensen appears with an invoice, she asks him for a ride.

While Lila and Jensen unload everything at the dump, Jensen confronts her about their relationship. Lila insists that she’s not upset with him and has just been busy. Back at home later, she and Gabriel exchange affectionate texts. Gabriel says that he wants to see her again but doesn’t suggest a specific date.

The next day, Gene accompanies Lila to the school to collect Violet. The mothers recognize him from Star Squadron Zero, and Philippa asks for an autograph. When Gene realizes that Marja is there too, he demands that she apologize to Lila for “breaking up a family” (250). Philippa tries to defend Marja, but Marja apologizes, seeming genuinely sorry.

Over the following days and weeks, things feel peaceful at home. Jensen continues working in the garden. Bill continues seeing Penelope, and Gene and Bill continue to get along. Then, one day, Jensen helps Lila restart her car without her asking. He then suggests that they take a drive, insisting that Lila take the top down. Lila protests but soon finds the experience enjoyable. That night, she’s left wondering if her good mood is related to Jensen.

Bill makes fried chicken, and Gene invites Penelope and Jensen over to watch his latest commercial. The family enjoys a fun evening together.

Lila and Gabriel make plans to have dinner. When she’s about to leave to meet him, Gabriel delays their date. She takes herself out to a pub before heading to his house. They spend the evening chatting, drinking wine, and eating takeout. Then, they go to Gabriel’s study, kiss, and have sex. Lila is feeling happy until Gabriel asks her to leave, explaining that he doesn’t think Lennie is ready for him to be dating. He also asks Lila not to mention their encounter to anyone at school.

Gene and Celie ride the bus together. Celie is headed to school, and Gene is going to an agent meeting. On the way, they discuss Celie’s new animation club. The conversation then shifts to Gene’s relationship with the family. Celie urges him to apologize to Lila in the way he made Marja apologize.

At school, Celie realizes that she’s been feeling more confident. She’s made new friends, too. In animation club, she chats with a classmate named Martin. He gives her tips on how to draw people and translate her experiences into images.

Over the following days, Lila tries not to feel hurt by Gabriel’s unresponsiveness. He sends his mother to collect Lennie more often, too. Feeling confused, Lila spends her time watching her telenovela. One day, Eleanor shows up at Lila’s and demands to know why she’s been avoiding her. Lila gets defensive, but Eleanor insists that she needs to talk. She opens up about her sexual adventures, and the two commiserate about dating in their forties. Lila then explains what’s going on with Gabriel. Eleanor suggests that he’s stringing her along, giving her just enough attention to keep her interested but not enough for a real relationship.

Later that day, Jensen knocks on the door while Lila is writing. He asks for a copy of the invoice he gave her, insisting that he can grab it off her desk so that she can answer the doorbell. A while later, Jensen emerges from upstairs, holding pages of her manuscript. He accuses her of twisting their relationship and using him for her book. Lila protests, but he insists that he doesn’t know who she is and lets himself out.

Lila tells Eleanor what happened with Jensen on their walk. Eleanor suggests that she be more careful about what she writes and reexamine who she wants to be. Feeling lonely and confused afterward, Lila goes up to the attic and sorts through Francesca’s old things. Bill joins her. While they’re going through photos and rediscovering the dollhouse that Bill built Lila when she was little, Gene joins them. Then, they find a letter from Francesca’s friend referring to a trip that Francesca took in 2006 to Dublin, where she met up with Gene. She and Bill were married at the time. Bill gets angry with Gene, who argues that it wasn’t what Bill thinks. Lila lashes out at Gene. She accuses him of ruining everything and demands that he leave.

Lila is reeling from the revelation about Francesca and Gene’s affair for the next several days. Gene left and Bill went back to his house. She keeps contacting Bill, but he doesn’t want to discuss the situation. She struggles to care for the girls alone in the meantime. Finally, one night, she runs herself a bath and calls Gabriel. She tells him about her fathers’ fight. Gabriel changes the subject, and the two have phone sex.

Lila feels happier in the days after her and Gabriel’s phone call. Meanwhile, she tries to keep the house in order, continue writing, and spend time with Eleanor. During one walk, Eleanor asks her about her manuscript, reminding her that she can’t write about her sexual experiences anymore. Lila agrees but doesn’t know what to do because she needs the money.

Lila shows up to school early for pickup. She runs into another mother named Jessie, and they go out for coffee while waiting for their kids. They commiserate about single parenthood and share their dating experiences. When Jessie describes the man she’s involved with, Lila notices similarities between his behavior and Gabriel’s. When Jessie confirms that the man is Gabriel, Lila pales and flees the café without explanation.