In Lieu of Flowers

We are introduced to Eric, lethargic and lost, as he runs in all weather. A voicemail from Melissa asks him to pick up his things from Gretchen's apartment, hinting at an unresolved breakup. This opening thread establishes his emotional state and the practical task ahead.

On a wind-swept beach, we meet Rachel, a teacher who travels into the city to attend a memorial service for Robert J. Austin. She discovers the service notice on a church bulletin, foreshadowing the grief to come. She boards a train, preparing to participate in the service.

Barreling around a corner, Eric pulls up short with a pain outside the same church. He accepts a flyer for Lazarus Lives, a support group for the bereft, signaling a potential path toward healing. The moment foreshadows his later involvement with the group.

Cut to Rachel on the return train, sharing a light banter with a fellow passenger. The moment ends when he notices the wedding band she wears, hinting at her recent loss and the complexity of her life.

Eric attends the Lazarus Lives meeting and listens as Rachel tells her story. He introduces himself and admits that he has been grieving his girlfriend Gretchen for two months, a truth he reveals only when pressed by the moderator. Afterward, he and Rachel pause to talk briefly before going their separate ways.

We glimpse Rachel in her daily routine at school, dodging messages from a girlfriend and maintaining a professional exterior. The scenes contrast with the private grief she carries, subtly shaping her initial interactions with Eric. Her day feels steady yet weighed down by loss.

Later, Rachel sits on the beach looking at photos of her and her husband, reflecting on what she has lost. She throws them into the surf in a moment of passion, then frantically retrieves them, showing the pull between memory and moving forward.

Eric visits a dermatologist for growths and learns they are the result of a sexually transmitted disease. The realization that his girlfriend Gretchen may have contracted it from someone else and passed it to him forces a reckoning with infidelity and consequences. He leaves the office with a weighty new understanding of his situation.

As Eric leaves the doctor's office, the assistant mentions that the doctor's daughter is present, hinting at a connection to Rachel. Eric remains unaware of this link, creating dramatic irony as their worlds begin to intersect. The passing remark plants a thread that will matter later.

Eric and Rachel run into each other at a coffee shop and spend time talking. She explains she is hosting an engagement party at her Sag Harbor house and is overwhelmed by the preparation. She declines his offer to help, but later calls to invite him to join.

Back at home, Eric explains to his roommate Tony how he met Rachel. Tony urges him to tell Rachel about Gretchen, saying it's necessary for honesty. Eric remains evasive and, frustrated, heads off on the train to clear his head.

On a guys' night out, Eric struggles to stay present and fixates on a girl at the bar. Flashbacks to time with Gretchen interrupt the moment, culminating in him exploding at a friend who is rude to the waitress. He storms out, leaving the group behind and deepening his isolation.