Endings, Beginnings 2019

Daphne is a 30-something woman reeling from a painful breakup with Adrian. To mend her world, she moves into her sister Billie’s poolhouse, leaves her job behind, and agrees to a six-month sabbatical from alcohol and men, following friendly advice to pause and reassess what she truly wants from life. This decision marks a bold step toward personal reflection as she navigates a period of upheaval, searching for stability and a sense of self after four turbulent years.

At Christmas, Daphne visits her mother, Sue, and the relationship between them feels strained. Sue is distant and self-absorbed, already partnered with a European man named Karl, and she offers Daphne a wedding ring—an object with a complicated history tied to Daphne’s own family. The exchange underscores a broader theme in Daphne’s world: the fragile, often painful, quest for lasting connection and the weight of past choices.

New Year’s Eve brings a pair of striking contrasts. Daphne meets two men who represent opposite paths: the free-spirited, unpredictable Frank, and the sober, thoughtful Jack, a writer and academic. Both men show interest in her, and their different energies pull her in different directions. Frank is playful and persistent, courting with a wilder charm, while Jack offers steadier, more domestic companionship. As the two men pursue her, Daphne finds herself torn between two very different visions of what her future could be.

The next days unfold with a complicated emotional tide. Frank’s insistence on spending time with her collides with her budding connection to Jack, and Daphne wrestles with her boundaries. After a night with Frank, she insists he not use their budding bond as a wedge in his friendship with Jack. The dynamic intensifies when she returns home with her niece and witnesses her sister’s quarrels, a scene that deepens Daphne’s growing sense that love and commitment may be harder to sustain than she had hoped. A messenger from her past arrives—a note from Jed, her former boss, apologizing for past entanglements that likely contributed to her split from Adrian and her abrupt departure from work.

Caught between two alluring paths, Daphne drifts between the two men, savoring the distinct ways each one sees her. With Jack, she embraces a more domestic life—cooking, watching movies, and sharing long conversations—while she continues to text and flirt with Frank, who embodies a different, more adventurous future.

A major turning point arrives when Daphne moves into her own place (one that unfortunately doesn’t allow pets) and receives an unexpected visit from Frank. He is leaving town and cannot take his dog, so he leaves it with her. He returns shortly after, and the couple share another intense, impulsive encounter. They then embark on a weekend road trip up north, attending a house party with friends Frank keeps separate from Jack. Their weekend together intensifies the tension between Daphne’s dual desires and the consequences of her choices.

Back home, life introduces new social pressures. Daphne attends her sister’s baby shower, arriving two hours late, and finds herself under the gaze of many who gossip about her. Jack returns, and Daphne resumes her relationship with him, though the emotional landscape remains nuanced and unsettled. A chance encounter with Jed hints at unresolved history and the fragility of Daphne’s sense of control.

As the weeks pass, Daphne learns she is pregnant. The revelation ups the stakes: the baby could be Frank’s, a possibility that strains her relationship with Jack, who admits he is happy about the child but feels betrayed by the uncertainty surrounding paternity. Daphne must confront the fallout of her choices and own them fully.

The wedding of Sue and Karl offers a moment of clarity, yet also tension as Daphne and her mother clash over what stability means. In the quiet aftermath, Daphne reaches out to human resources at her old job to explain that she left so abruptly because of her boss’s inappropriate behavior. As she moves forward, she runs into Frank while she is about five-and-a-half months pregnant. He expresses surprise at her bump and, after a hesitant start, indicates a desire to be involved in fatherhood. The two reconnect, and Daphne begins to imagine what life could look like with him.

In the closing chapters, Daphne and Sue begin to find common ground and repair their relationship, offering a sense of reconciliation and hope. An encouraging message from Adrian appears, signaling that personal growth and new beginnings might still be on the horizon.