Then She Was Gone

Laurel is eating lunch in a café in her old neighborhood when a middle-aged man walks in. She notices his tasteful clothing, similar to what Paul wears, and finds herself attracted to him. He sits at the table next to her with a slice of carrot cake, and just as Lauren starts to leave, he compliments her hair. He offers her a bite of his carrot cake, and they sit together and talk. Laurel is surprised at herself for talking to a man, something she hasn’t done in years. She wonders if burying Ellie was the closure she needed to carry on with her life. The man, Floyd Dunn, gives her his phone number and offers to take her to dinner. Later, Laurel drops by Hanna’s house and tells her about meeting Floyd. She asks Hanna if she has a boyfriend, but Hanna denies it, saying she was out with friends. Laurel knows she’s not telling the truth and wishes they could all be a healthy family again. 

Laurel calls Floyd, and they make dinner plans. As she’s getting ready for the date, she realizes she has not worried about looking pretty for a very long time.