The Guncle Abroad

Patrick drives Maisie and Grant in a rental car up to the Grand Hotel Tremezzo on Lake Como for the wedding. The roads are tight and everyone speeds by, putting Patrick on edge. When they arrive, Greg and Livia meet them in the lobby, and as Greg hugs Maisie and Grant, Patrick feels truly alone. Patrick watches Livia, formal with the children she knows are against her. He struggles to understand her, seeing a caring, motherly figure one moment and an evil stepmother the next.

Later, Patrick takes some alone time on the bar veranda with a bottle of wine. Greg, Livia, and the children go out to dinner. Patrick is surprised when Livia joins him, explaining that she believes that Greg and the kids deserve some alone time together. They begin to chat, and Patrick realizes that he likes Livia; she is less critical than she often appears, though he can understand why Maisie and Grant dislike her. Livia thanks Patrick for taking the kids, and he explains to her that it was no problem. Patrick then tells Livia that as Maisie and Grant grow older, he is finding it harder to relate to them. He warns Livia that they see her as a threat to losing the memory of their mother and their idea of family with Greg. Livia tells Patrick that she wants to be a mother and that though she tried to be for years, she never could. Patrick sympathizes and advises her to express her desire not just to be a mother, but to be Maisie and Grant’s mother, specifically.

The next morning, Grant, Maisie, Patrick, and Greg take the ferry to Bellagio as Livia’s family arrives at the hotel. Maisie declares that she invited Livia and wonders if that is why Livia did not come. When Patrick tells Maisie that he is proud of her for extending the invitation, Maisie tells him, “I was hoping she’d walk the plank” (134). She continues to push Patrick to talk to Greg, but Patrick still refuses. When Maisie asks him if he thinks that Greg will let her get highlights, Patrick suggests that she ask Livia. Angered, Maisie tells him that she might ask her new “launt” instead. Patrick relents and promises that they can highlight her hair with lemons. Maisie remarks Palmina bothers Patrick, and he admits that he does not like competition.

Greg tells Patrick that their sister, Clara, is arriving later that night, and he suggests to Maisie and Grant that they find a present for Livia. They find a silk scarf store and Patrick helps Maisie and Grant pick out one with mushrooms on it. The kids love it, and though Greg is skeptical, he buys it for them to give to Livia. When they walk outside, it begins pouring rain. They huddle together under an awning, and after it stops, they walk back to the boat. As they do, Patrick speaks with Greg, commenting that they make a good duo for the kids. Patrick tests Greg’s intentions with Livia, suggesting that maybe Maisie and Grant do not need her if they have him and Greg. Greg tells Patrick that he needs Livia.

Later that night, Patrick finds Clara as Greg and Livia’s family meet for drinks. Clara and Patrick once had a rocky relationship, and during the summer when Patrick watched Maisie and Grant, she tried to take them from him, claiming that he was doing a bad job. Five years later, she is divorced and a new person. When Clara and Patrick meet Livia’s parents, Livia’s father is impressed and excited to discover that Patrick is an actor. Patrick loves the attention, but he is soon stunned by the arrival of Palmina. She is dressed stylishly and seems effortlessly confident and cool, trailed by an entourage of three women. Palmina introduces herself to Patrick and calls him “GUNK,” much to his dismay. He immediately thinks of her as a supervillain. They begin exchanging playful insults, a rivalry springing up between them. After she leaves, Maisie and Grant gush over how cool she is, annoying Patrick.

Patrick excuses himself to the bar, where he thinks of Emory and how lonely he is. In a moment of weakness, he almost texts Emory, but he stops himself. Patrick is sure that Emory is already moving on. Palmina soon joins him, and when he tells her that he almost texted his ex-boyfriend, she asks why they are not together. When Patrick cannot explain, she tells him that he will not know what he wants until he understands himself. Palmina shares that she also just broke up with her partner, though she did so because her older partner was too possessive, not because of her age. They seem to garner a begrudging respect for each other. When Palmina leaves, Clara finds Patrick and expresses her own doubts about the wedding, saying that they must think of how it will impact Maisie and Grant.