When Lily's family learns Zephyr is the Harrisons' illegitimate son, her father pressures her to refuse the match. Lily insists she loves Zephyr; he kneels in the rain to propose, runs a 104°F fever and is hospitalized while calling her name. After recalling their childhood, Lily is shaken by how quickly his love changed and accepts her father's warning. She pivots to a pragmatic plan: she wants a child, not a husband, and insists on hiring a male college student. The Lloyd heir replies, "I'll become whatever kind of man she wants," leaving the decision unresolved.