- Epigraph: "There is no such thing as fun for the whole family."—Jerry Seinfeld
- Lena tries to capture the beauty of the Caldera sunset in a painting. Smelling a feast that her grandparents, former restaurant owners, are cooking downstairs, she throws on the Pants and heads down for the party.
- Being an introvert, Lena notices that the attention has shifted off of her and onto her outgoing sister, Effie.
- Grandma doesn't think Lena should wear the Pants to the party, though, since she wants her to look her best for Kostos (the Caldera heart throb).
- Lena is pessimistic, though—she hasn't had too much luck in the love department—but Grandma insists that she will love this kid because "Everyone loves Kostos" (4.20).
- Back in South Carolina, Carmen gives her father a huge hug when she sees him at the airport.
- They exchange niceties—how's your mom, how's your friends, boy, look how much you've grown. Awkward.
- that Albert looks good for a dad—he's tan, which highlights his blue eyes, and his hair is recently cut. Huh.
- At any rate, Carmen is psyched to see her father's new apartment—since the divorce, it's weird that she has never seen where her father lives.
- To Carmen's surprise, Albert pulls up in front of a huge Victorian house. And the surprises just keep coming as Lydia, Albert's fiancé, greets Carmen at the door, along with her teenage kids, Krista and Paul.
- Lydia tries to make Carmen feel welcome, but Carmen can't get over this news alert.
- She doesn't want to disappoint her father by telling him she's mad, though, so she keeps quiet and settles into the guest room.
- Then she writes a letter to Bridget filling her in. She notes, "I hate surprises" (4.109).