Mom's birthday

Aria and Charlie ride home together. He asks if she’s always had that kind of personality? She doesn’t know what he means. He clarifies: Is she always this kind and friendly to elders? She asks if he’s trying to thank her. He smiles and says there’s no way. She said that “if you wear a mask, you can't be happy." She was wrong. He can at least act like he's happy if he wears a mask. Like her. He says that he feels relieved. Because he’s found a great business partner. Aria doesn’t know what to think. Emma would have, though, because she knows what he means.

When they get home, Dad is pleased. He’s on the phone with Madam’s husband, who reports that Madam enjoyed her time. When he hangs up the phone, Dad declares that he thought Emma was a bit shy, but she has a talent for making people feel good, too. Why does Dad come off like a creepy old man? He tells Charlie he wants to talk.

Aria is going to return to their room, but Stepmom asks what she bought. Aria says that she bought it with the Madam. Stepmom smiles and corrects her. Isn’t “took” a better word, since she didn’t pay for them? Stepmom adds that they’re family now so there's no need for mine or yours. Looking down at her nails, Riley asks if someone having an arranged marriage with a contract count as a family member. She looks at Aria and says that she feels anxious every time she sees Emma. Emma married for the Assembly Man's election, but what if it doesn't work out? He can't campaign if there's a scandal. When that happens, what do they do about her, so pitiful? Motioning her head at the bags, she tells Emma to take as much as she can while she still can; you never know what can happen. And Aria’s face looks like mine, wondering what kind of family she married into.

Dad is in his study with Charlie and is happy. He says that Emma is a ferocious tiger like her father. It’s obvious she’s a politician's daughter, since she knows how to make people happy. Charlie posits that she could have been being genuine, happy to have seen the Madam after such a long time. It could've been to help him. Aw, is he trying to believe what Aria told him at the wedding? Dad gets a belly laugh at that. Dad makes my skin crawl. He tells Charlie to think about whether her actions are for business or not, if he wants to continue doing business.

Charlie returns to the bedroom. Aria is sitting on the bed, sadly looking at all the bags. He’s going to need fresh bedding again. Heh. He asks what she’s doing. What is she doing on his bed? She gets up and moves to the couch, obviously upset. She asks why he’s looking at her with those eyes? He realizes he’s doing it and stops himself. He gets his back-to-business face/mask and says that investment agreements will be made during lunch tomorrow with the city council. One percent of the group's stock will be offered to her. She should think of it like it’s a commission. He adds that if she feels it's a burden to accept, or if she helped him without that kind of intention, she doesn't have to accept it.

She tells him that she’ll take it. He looks at her. And I think he’s wishing she hadn’t said that. She says that he knows very well the reason why they got married. He tells her to go ahead. Their relationship was, by nature, like this anyway. He tells her to put her things away while he’s in the shower. Aria sighs and looks at Archie’s SMS feed. She smiles as she looks at it. He posts that today is Mom’s birthday. Aria can’t believe that she forget. She hurries out with a package. Oliver sees her leave and frowns. Riley watches him as he watches her.

Aria heads over to her family’s home. She thinks of the present and how Mom would appreciate it. Oliver arrives and grabs her wrist. She yelps and drops the present. He asks her if she knows what is the most immature emotion in the world is: love. Neither reason nor logic are effective against it. Wow, Oliver is one messed up person if he thinks that love is an immature emotion. That useless emotion can ruin everything! Aria is understandable frightened by the intensity with which he is speaking. He asks if she loves her family. Does she want to help them by paying off all their debt? She stares at him. He demands that she answer him and she nods. He tells her that if she really loves them, she’ll forget them completely and not look for them again. That’s for her family's sake.

She nods and asks if he can promise her. A tear runs down her cheek. That he’ll protect her family forever; can he promise her? He responds that she’s the one making promises. Make it so that he can do that.

They’re interrupted by Archie arriving. He stops a neighbor and asks if Mom has come home yet. Neighbor is worried. Aria hides her face. He notices them and starts to walk in their direction. Oliver hugs her like that’s what they’re there for. Archie walks away. She shoves him away from her.

Hearing Dad worried, Aria starts to freak out. Oliver tells her not to worry. He’ll find Mom. Aria just needs to make the promise, so that he can look for Aria's mother. Aria nods with tears in her eyes. They return to the house and Riley drinks and notes that they came in together. Aria goes back to the bedroom. Charlie is in bed. He looks to be asleep but isn’t. As she sits on the couch, she tries not to cry.

In their bedroom, Riley casually asks Oliver where he went. He says that he had to urgently finish something at the company. She asks what it was. If he had to go at this time, wasn't it very important? She’s just asking because she’s worried. He says that he was tweaking the contract that is supposed to be signed the next day. He gives her a business card and tells her to call them if she wants to know what he adjusted. He adds that it's good if she knows what's going on in the company as well. He walks away.

She almost rips up the business card but calls them when he’s in the shower. Or pretending to be in the shower... He’s actually listening. Person on the phone confirms that Oliver was telling the truth. She asks person to not tell Oliver that she called. Is she talking to Minion? She hangs up and sighs and rips up the business card. From the bathroom, Oliver smiles.

Charlie is dreaming of Emma drowning. He mutters that he didn’t do it. He wakes up, terrified. He looks over to where Aria is sleeping – without covers – and goes over to look at her. He decides to cover her up. He notices that she’s having an uncomfortable dream, too. He doesn’t cover her up but leaves her alone.