That night, Dave comes into the house, exhaustedly picking his way around the toys on the floor and complaining about traffic. Katie comes out of the kitchen with her hair down and dressed in girl clothes to ask what he'd like to drink. Seemingly surprised by the question, he asks for a beer. Not the romantic libation she had in mind after their conversation that morning -- you know, the one that indicated there might be some brief respite this evening from the grey, grinding routine of their humdrum existence -- but she rallies and goes to fetch it. Dave parks himself at the table and starts picking at the food. When Katie returns, she says she's glad Dave missed her. Which is her way of checking to see if he even remembers what he said to her this morning, because all evidence is that he doesn't. Dave grins, "I did," but that's apparently all he recalls, because when he realizes the look she's giving him is rather expectant, he wonders what's up. Katie plays it off like she's totally not disappointed, and they dine in silence. So it's kind of like a date, in the sense that she was dressed and prepared and looking forward to it, but also not like a date, in the sense that it was pretty much over after their thirty-second phone conversation that morning.

Palek and Carolyn are having guests over, including Palek's mom. Who is horrible. She's holding forth on Palek's paternal nature, which extends even to herself. "I think the world will be a better place when he can parent his own children," she proclaims. Carolyn assures the table that they'll start trying soon. "Within a year so, right?" "Yep," Palek dutifully agrees, his attention focused on the plate in front of him. Removed much? His mom says, "It's less about the child than it is about your own development as human beings." Everyone politely pretends like that isn't the stupidest fucking thing they've ever heard in their entire lives. Carolyn excuses herself from the table, saying she's going to "do this," by which she ostensibly means dishes and so forth. But then she goes into the bedroom and flops crossways on her back across their bed. Back in the dining room, Palek's mom wants Palek to tell them about Carolyn's sister Mason's new home. I think we'll be meeting Mason in a later episode. I must say, coming off a season of Big Love's cast of thousands, the relatively small ensemble on this show makes for one of its few welcome changes. Palek says about three words, and then excuses himself as well, saying he's going to give Carolyn a "hand." That is not, in fact, all he's going to give her.