Summary

In Chapter 4, Chess listens to a playlist “called ‘JessC+EmmyMac4Eva (1998—2018)” while cooking dinner (49). She says she made it for a friendship anniversary party she planned to host for her and Emily. She never hosted the party because her career took off and Emily was busy trying to start a family. Emily reminds her she was also writing two books that year (51). When Chess says she thought Matt would be jealous of the party, Emily is surprised. Chess and Matt always got along.

After dinner, the friends talk over wine. They discuss the album Aestas, which they find in the sitting room. After googling it, Emily learns that Lara Larchmont wrote Aestas during her stay at the villa. The villa was renamed its honor (55). Their conversation morphs into talk of Emily’s “next Petal Bloom” book (57). Chess then recalls their old attempt to...