[3] Luca, a boy attending boarding school, eagerly looks forward to spending the spring break home with his affluent, workaholic lawyer father Roberto, especially since he has residual sadness over the death of his mother.

However, Roberto initially continues to spend long hours at his job, and Luca whiles the time with a platonic school friend, Steafanella, dabbling in trying alcohol and smoking.

Veronica, sympathetic to Luca likely feeling overwhelmed by change, and also frustrated with Roberto's prioritizing work, volunteers to stay at a nearby hotel, and makes attempts to connect with him.

When he catches her and his father kissing, however, he runs away; Roberto calls the police, but Veronica instinctively goes to Luca's secret spot, and coaxes him back by promising not to reveal its location.

Roberto has cut short the beach trip to attend to a pressing case, but after Luca confronts him about his mixed feelings about having a potential new parent in his life, he agrees to let him stay home from school an extra week so they can go skiing.