Time passes, and Lily and Mr. Miller fade into the kitchen. Mr. Miller is seated at the counter while Lily gets dinner ready. Judy, Aaron, Miriam, and the rest pile through the back door, and Mr. Miller stands. Miriam cowers into the fridge at the sight of him. He fetches her gloves and says he brought them for her, since it's so cold. He tries to hand them to her, but she just stares at him. Aaron shrinks behind her, nervously shifting from one foot to the other. Lily breaks the tension by making a round of introductions. Mr. Miller holds out the gloves again, telling Miriam to put them on. She says she doesn't want them and starts rambling, "Alligator, carburetor, masturbater..." Her father says her name impatiently. "Herb," she shoots back immediately, challenging. He says he brought her meds, and she screams, "No! I don't want my medication! I want Aaron!" She clutches a reluctant Aaron, who seems to want nothing more than to disappear into the wall. The two of them wedge themselves behind the fridge, and Mr. Miller, embarrassed, apologizes for the scene. Miriam starts shrieking repeatedly for Aaron to "tell them." Somewhat mechanically, he utters, "One person is just a room..." Mr. Miller doesn't have time for this kind of nonsense and demands, "What do you mean?" Aaron doesn't know how to answer him. Mr. Miller advances toward the couple, asking Aaron what he means. Judy tries to intervene. Mr. Miller cuts through the namby-pamby: "He wants to live with my daughter. Can I ask him how he plans to do it?" Judy doesn't know how to respond to the mean man. Mr. Miller starts to rhyme off all the responsibilities life with Miriam would entail. Judy finally finds her voice and tells him not to talk to Aaron that way. Mr. Miller looks pained as he delivers the reality check: "That's the problem. People will." Miriam whines and screeches from the space behind the fridge, still clinging to Aaron. Judy says, "Lily, please. Aaron needs Mr. Miller to leave." She barely glances at the man in question and says she's sorry.

Mr. Miller, defeated, turns toward Lily and says he knows she loves Aaron very much, but he also knows she knows where he's coming from. "Mrs. Sammler?" he prods. Reluctantly, Lily says she doesn't know anything anymore. "Sure you do," Mr. Miller says. He insists that Aaron deserves an honest answer: "Do you believe that this could ever work?" Hating herself for it, Lily shakes her head a fraction and whispers, almost inaudibly, "No." She mouths to Judy that she's sorry. Miriam is still groaning, "Oh, my Aaron," over and over again from behind the fridge. Judy tries to assure her that everything is okay. "No!" Miriam screams, bursting from behind the fridge. She tears through the kitchen and out of sight, shouting, "I want Aaron! I want my life!" A door slams off-screen. Aaron starts sobbing, and Judy tries to soothe him. Mr. Miller offers to call Shelley, but Lily thinks they should try to resolve things on their own first. Aaron starts pounding his head against the wall. Mr. Miller asks Lily if she minds him going upstairs to get Miriam. "Yes! I mind!" Judy snaps, as if he were talking to her. Mr. Miller sighs and wearily says he'll just wait in the car, then. He says he'll call Shelley if Miriam doesn't come down in an hour. Judy can't wait to shut the door behind him, while Lily just stares off, feeling wretched. Aaron has one more outburst and then manages to get himself under control. Lily softly tells him that she's sorry. Aaron addresses himself to Judy and says that he should go and check on Miriam. She agrees emphatically.