Atmosphere

In January of 1982, Joan and Vanessa have been together for six months. They’re in Joan’s apartment listening to music when they hear a knock on the door. Joan goes to answer it alone and sees that it’s Barbara. Barbara asks Joan to watch Frances for the weekend because a man Barbara recently met, Daniel, has invited her to New York for the weekend. Joan initially pushes back because she thinks Barbara is behaving rashly, but Joan then agrees to watch Frances.

On Monday, Joan drops Frances off at school. Barbara is supposed to pick her up after school, but in the afternoon, Frances’s school calls Joan and says that it’s been 40 minutes since school ended, and Barbara still hasn’t shown up. Joan has to cancel a flight training session to go pick up Frances and bring her back home. When they’re home, Frances has a tantrum because she thinks Joan is making Rice Krispies treats the wrong way. During the tantrum, Frances kicks Joan in the shin.

Later that night, as Joan is putting Frances to bed, Frances apologizes for kicking her. Barbara returns home later and explains that she missed her flight and tried to call Joan but couldn’t leave a message because Joan doesn’t have an answering machine. When Joan says that Barbara acted irresponsibly, Barbara accuses Joan of thinking that she (Joan) is better than her. Joan tells Barbara not to leave Frances alone at school again and then slams the door and leaves.

A few days later, Joan and Vanessa go out to a restaurant in the afternoon. Joan then says that they’re running late, and she has to go pick up Frances. Vanessa says she’ll get Joan back home quickly so Joan can get her car, but Joan says that Vanessa could just come with her to pick up Frances. Vanessa is nervous and says she doesn’t know how to talk to kids, but Joan assures her that it will be okay. After they pick up Frances, Vanessa talks to Frances without a filter in a way that makes Joan concerned but that Frances immediately responds to. The three of them then go out for milkshakes. Vanessa explains that she and her late father used to go out for milkshakes. By the end of the outing, it’s clear that Frances likes Vanessa.