Variation

Anne admits that Allie is depressed but is seeing a therapist and is getting back into training. She warns Hudson to be careful with Allie. She knows that he is partially doing this to get Allie to forgive him but is adamant that he can’t hurt her all over again. She threatens to tell Allie a secret she has kept for 10 years: She saw Hudson secretly talking with Lina before the Classic, on the morning of their car accident.

That Saturday, Caroline frantically prepares for June’s birthday party. When she mentions 59 guests, Gavin tells her that Hudson is bringing a date. Hudson tells Caroline and his parents about Allie, and they all seem surprised. Caroline is annoyed because Allie is a Rousseau, insisting that Hudson is making a mistake .

When Allie arrives, Hudson is awed by how beautiful she looks. He thinks of how this scene should have happened 10 years earlier. Allie fakes a smile, but Hudson immediately hugs her. He can tell by her reaction that she is attracted to him. He tells himself that he is going to use the summer to reconnect with her. However, Caroline interrupts their hug by angrily asking Allie why she is dating Hudson.

Hudson dismisses Caroline, whose confrontational attitude makes Allie immediately uncomfortable. However, Allie reminds herself that this is the first time she has dressed up in months, and she is going to do her best for June.

Allie sets ground rules for Hudson about their pretend relationship. She does not want him to touch her unless it’s in public and part of the ruse. She also wants him to stay single because she does not want to hurt any other girl. In return, Hudson makes her promise to always be honest with him.

During lunch, Caroline sits with Hudson and Allie. She quizzes them about their relationship and insists that it is weird they’re dating. Hudson tells her Allie’s favorite movie, favorite color, and where she prefers to buy her ballet gear. Allie is shocked that he remembers so much about her after all these years, and it helps to stitch up the wound from his abandonment, even if it doesn’t heal it.

June gets angry at how rude Caroline is being. She reveals that Hudson and Allie have known each other for years, throws the picture of them on the table, and storms away. Allie decides to leave, partially because Caroline clearly hates her, but mostly because of how it is upsetting June instead of helping her.

At home, Anne asks Allie how the party went. She admits that Caroline hates their family, and she wonders if they’re doing the right thing. Allie and Anne both wish they knew what Lina would want.

Allie wakes up the next morning. The first thing she thinks about is Hudson, then scolds herself for it. She checks her phone and has messages from Eva, who thinks that she should post a video on social media to show that she is healing. She also sends a link to a video of another dancer showing Allie’s Giselle performance and talking about her injury. The comments below are vicious: Some talk about how she should be replaced, others talk about how her physique wasn’t good enough for the performance, and others speculate about whether she’ll ever come back.

Allie goes into the ballet studio to practice. She is upset that Eva sent her the video, but it also motivates her to start working harder. Anne comes in and immediately starts questioning Allie about how hard she is training, but Allie insists she is being careful.

Anne then shows Allie some photos that she found in their mother’s room, from the time just before June was born. Lina and Sophie were supposedly in San Francisco for a ballet performance. There is a photo of them outside the studio in full winter gear, which hides Lina’s pregnant stomach. Their mom told them the photo was from after Lina’s performance; however, when they check the playbill, Lina is not listed. They realize that their mother knew about Lina’s pregnancy and, therefore, the adoption.

Allie and Anne go to see Sophie at the Brookesfield Institute. Her assistant Rachel leads them into Sophie’s office, reminding them that their mother has class in 20 minutes. Their mother is painting a picture of a ballet dancer.

When Allie tries to speak with her, her mother shouts out numbers of ballet positions. Annoyed, Allie complies with each one while she tries to start a conversation with her mother; however, Sophie completely ignores everything Allie says.

When Anne speaks, Sophie is more responsive, so Anne tells her that Allie is dating Hudson. They are hoping to get a reaction that will show that Sophie knows about June, but their mother gives the same answer she did 10 years ago when she found out about Allie and Hudson: “that boy is like the river. Pretty to look at, but we don’t swim there” (146).

Anne decides to confront her mother directly about Lina. She shows Sophie the photo from San Francisco and asks if Lina was pregnant. However, her mother ignores them, continuing to paint. Each time Allie tries to talk, her mother demands she get into a different position. Allie realizes they are not going to learn anything.

Rachel comes back into the room and tells them that their mother has class. Allie again asks about Lina, but her mother demands that she get into “relevé” position. Allie admits that she can’t because of her ankle. Her mother grows angry and throws the cup of water with her paint brush in it at Allie. It falls short, but splatters paint all over Allie’s shoes and pants. Appalled, Rachel gives Allie a rag and apologizes, but Allie insists that it’s nothing new. Sophie says that Allie should have died instead of Lina, and Allie responds that some days, she agrees.

Hudson has Allie over for a beach day with his family. He is immediately nervous when June forces him, Allie, and Caroline to build a sandcastle together. However, he is surprised when Caroline and Allie briefly bond over their all-consuming careers, Allie’s with the ballet and Caroline’s ownership of her café. Recognizing that things are going well, Hudson playfully grabs Allie and pulls her away before that can change. He carries her to the ocean and threatens to throw her into the water as they flirt with each other.

Hudson goes for a swim, and when he goes back up to the beach, Allie isn’t there. June tells him that she went to get her phone out of Hudson’s car and June’s hat out of Gavin’s car. When Allie comes back, she seems distant, but Hudson dismisses it.

The rest of the day goes well, as they eat dinner and talk with Hudson’s family. While waiting for Allie on the deck, Caroline comes up to him. She tells him that she gave Allie a shot, but Hudson can’t date her.

Allie thinks of how good the day was. She did not think about ballet once and was able to get her interaction with her mother out of her head.

She overhears Hudson and Caroline talking. Caroline explains that she actually likes Allie and can even get over the fact that she is a Rousseau, but she can tell that Allie doesn’t like him. She points out that Allie never touches him first or smiles and that he initiates everything with her.

Allie gets angry as she listens. She is failing Hudson, June, and even Anne, just as she failed her mother. She goes around the corner to interrupt Caroline and Hudson. She kisses him—their first kiss ever—as Caroline says goodbye and leaves.

Hudson pulls Allie into the shower room. He tells her that he wants five minutes of honesty from her and sets a timer on his phone. He says that she can leave if she wants, but she stays. He tells her that he wants a new “first kiss,” and she admits that she does, too. They kiss for several minutes. Allie thinks of how amazing it is to not hide her feelings or feel guarded, and how the kiss is better than any she has ever had before. However, she is reminded of how he abandoned her 10 years ago and stops him just as the five-minute timer goes off. She says that she is still hurt by what he did to her, and he apologizes profusely.

Hudson drives Allie home in silence. When they get there, she assures him that she will still continue to pretend to date him for June’s sake. She struggles to get inside without breaking down. Once she’s in the door, she realizes Kenna is there as she begins to cry.