Danny and Maeve settle into a routine of spending holiday breaks from school together. Danny takes the train back home each break because Maeve refuses to go to New York: It reminds her of options she couldn't exercise because of her role in Danny’s life—or so Danny assumes.

During the 1968 Thanksgiving visit, Danny, now a college student at Columbia, is unhappy about taking the trip down because he needs to study for an organic chemistry exam. He has a low grade in the course, a real problem considering it is one of the prerequisites for medical school; failing out of college will also up the chances of Danny being drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. His professor, Dr. Morey Able, takes him aside early in the semester and teaches him how to study, and Danny begins to improve his grades.

When Danny boards the train home, he is swamped with requests from older women to stow their luggage. When he finally gets back to his seat, a young woman is there. She is reading his chemistry book. Her name is Celeste, and she is cute, Catholic like the Conroys, and lives just one town over from Danny and Maeve.