- Alan tries to convince himself that Kit's better off staying home from college for the next year. Her roommate was scary, anyway.
- He continues across the desert with Yousef to KAEC. He reflects on a cross-country trip he'd taken with his ex-wife, Ruby, across the U.S.
- Ruby had driven him nuts by talking about her exes, and they'd argued the whole way. Alan remembers feeling super alive during all that conflict.
- Alan starts telling jokes to Yousef to pass the time on their drive. He recalls that Ruby hated his joke telling. Yousef doesn't seem to mind. Alan loves him.
- Alan flashes back to the moment when the body of his friend, Charlie Fallon, was dragged from the lake back home.