The Nest

After Jack confesses to Walker about the statue and the loan, Walker moves out. He is most upset by Jack’s willingness to commit an illegal act by selling the statue via the underground economy. Further, he decides he has always wound up in the role of a parent for Jack. Stephanie’s news and seeing Melody’s twins has caused Walker to reconsider not wanting a child.

A few days after the failed birthday dinner, Melody learns of the twins skipping tutoring sessions. Walter is able to negotiate a refund, and Nora approaches him and reveals that she is dating Simone. Both she and Louisa also share that they would actually prefer to attend state colleges and even defer for a year. Walter puts the house back on the market, and it sells.

At dinner at a Chinese restaurant, Melody sulks. When Walter asks her what is wrong, she bursts out in anger. He takes her aside, demanding she apologize to the girls. Melody ends up sulking in the car while the family finishes dinner.

Melody arrives at Jack’s shop one Tuesday wanting his advice about Nora. She is anxious about parenting a gay teen and finally admits to Jack that she does not want Nora to be gay. They recall a particular summer when several of Jack’s friends frequented their home. Then, they both tell the other of the loss of their respective homes; Jack tells Melody that he is certain Walker wishes to divorce him. He encourages Melody to let Nora know that she still loves her.

On the day before Mother’s Day, Stephanie shops at the farmer’s market. She has gotten used to comments and questions about her pregnancy from strangers, but a farmer’s assumption that she is married still irks her. She thinks about her own mother, who raised her by herself.

Stephanie is scheduled to have lunch with Matilda and Vinnie. After Matilda’s call, Stephanie feels guilty, phones her again, and learns of Matilda’s predicament. Stephanie offers to arrange a meeting with Olivia—a journalist she knows who has written about prosthetics for war veterans and has garnered several contacts.

Tommy O’Toole sits outside on the stoop, recalling what has transpired with Jack and the statue. After Jack revealed that the buyer was Middle Eastern, Tommy refused to sell, insisting this would not be a “safe” owner for the gift from his wife, who died in the World Trade Center attack. Jack tries to reopen negotiations, but Tommy refuses.

He sees Matilda (with her missing foot) and Vinnie (with his missing arm) walking toward him and is seized by the notion that they are the statue come to life. Fearful that the statue will be discovered, Tommy collapses at Matilda’s feet.

On the day after Mother’s Day, Melody, Walter, and the twins are to move out of the house. Melody learns that it has been sold to a developer who will raze the house. Walter reveals that much of the wood and other fixtures will be salvaged. The salvager turns out to be Jack, who tells Melody he is putting the pieces in storage for her so that she can one day put them into another house. Melody is overjoyed at first but then decides she prefers to begin anew with a completely fresh start. She asks Jack to sell any pieces of value instead of storing them.

Years later, after Matilda and Vinnie are married, they tell their children the story of Tommy mistaking them for the statue because of Matilda’s missing foot and Vinnie’s missing arm.

After Tommy faints, Stephanie discovers the statue inside his apartment and, with the help of a friend, drops it off at an anonymous donation site for World Trade Center artifacts.

July arrives, and Stephanie’s baby is five days late when her water breaks. She is in the apartment building and knows the baby is coming quickly. She calls Tommy for help and the baby is soon born.

Paul and Bea travel to the Caribbean in search of Leo but do not find him. They find an airport employee who recognizes his picture but have no other success. On the trip, Bea receives an email from Stephanie praising her new writing. Bea has decided not to pursue the story of Leo’s accident for now, asserting it is not her story to tell. Bea is ready to leave, and they book a flight home.

As they wait for the ferry, Paul ducks into a convenience store and spots Leo. However, he does not approach him and rejoins Bea, pretending nothing has happened.

Leo spots Paul in the convenience store and hides, unsure what to do or say. After Paul exits, Leo peeks out after him and sees Bea. Bea and Paul kiss, then move to board the ferry. Leo approaches them. Bea sees him but says and does nothing.

One year later, Stephanie celebrates the birthday of her daughter, Lillian, whom she calls Lila. Nora and Simone are still dating; Nora prepares to leave for a state college in Buffalo in the fall. Louisa has moved into Stephanie’s second bedroom, preparing to attend art school nearby. Jack has learned that Walker has moved on to another man and, though Jack sometimes misses him, he has surprised himself by discovering he enjoys living alone. Bea has been working on a novel about an artist, which is not about Leo, and has moved in with Paul.

The party commences with everyone gathering around Lila, noticing, but not mentioning, that she looks just like Leo.