Elena is alone at the dock when Courtney Hobbes arrives. She asks if anyone has seen Ruby. No one has.

Courtney arrives with boxes of product from her company. She’s eager to join her co-workers who have all already arrived. Elena insists they have time to talk first.

Javier asks after Ruby. Elena gives him a worried look and tells him she doesn’t know what’s happened.

Courtney shares with Elena about her daughter, Alexis, who was born when Courtney was seventeen years old. Alexis is seventeen now. Life has been hard but they’ve made it through. Courtney dreams of being more successful.

She finished college and earned an MBA. Currently, she’s working as a receptionist at her dream company for a woman founder, Julia, she idolizes.

Ruby arrives, apologizing for being late.

Courtney’s fantasy is for Julia to know her name and recognize what she has to offer the company. Elena has arranged for the company retreat to happen on the Island. Ruby makes a snide remark about that. Elena gives Courtney a box with six caramels. She tells her to take one twice a day while she’s there. She warns her there are no more after she’s used up what’s in the box.

Ruby escorts Courtney to the retreat. On the way, Alexis facetimes her to give her a quick pep talk. When Courtney asks Ruby if she has kids, Ruby deflects the question. Courtney pops her first caramel in her mouth.

As Courtney enters the retreat venue, she realizes she can hear the thoughts of people around her.

The founder, Julia, comes out to address the corporate team. Courtney films the speech for social media, still hearing people’s thoughts, including Julia’s internal self-coaching. Julia’s speech includes a promise to sit down with everyone for two minutes at the end of the retreat to let them pitch a new idea for the company. The best pitch will earn a promotion.

Using some of what she overheard, Courtney manages to make an impression on Julia.

Elena sits down with Ruby to check in on how Courtney’s doing. She prompts Ruby to remember what it was like being a young working mother.

Ruby deflects again and asks what Elena wanted to see her about. Elena asks if Isla is the reason she missed welcoming Courtney at the dock. Ruby admits she was and lets Elena know that she hasn’t decided whether she’ll become a mermaid or not. She leaves.

Courtney knocks on Julia’s door to let her know that the video is ready to post. Having heard Julia think about how much her sandal straps hurt, she offers her some blister relief pads. Julia’s impressed and asks Courtney’s name.

Julia’s administrative assistant, Leo, appears and wonders what Courtney is up to.

The next corporate event is a walk across hot coals. Courtney hears Julia’s thoughts about not wanting to ruin her pedicure in the hot coals and fabricates an emergency to draw her away. This leaves Leo to lead the hot coal walk which infuriates him.

As they walk away, Julia offers to buy Courtney a drink which another corporate lackey, Mason, overhears and resents.

Over drinks, Courtney shares some of her life story with Julia to contrast how different their lives have been. Julia’s thoughts reveal her business contacts don’t return her calls like they used to. Julia invites Courtney to a dinner she’s hosting for department heads.

Segundo finds Ruby. Ruby asks why Elena hates mermaids. He explains about a long-time pact between the mermaids and the Roarkes. Once, a mermaid seduced a guest and stole him away to be with her. His family never saw him again and Mr. Roarke lived and regretted that tragedy his whole life.

Ruby asks why Isla should be blamed for something another mermaid had done. Segundo explains that it’s a matter of trust. Mermaids are sirens in Spanish mythology and he compares them to sharks that may not always be attacking but are always dangerous.

Segundo leaves Ruby to think about this.

Before the dinner, Courtney facetimes with Alexis for another pep talk. Courtney eats another caramel.

When she steps into the dinner space, she gets nervous and takes another caramel. Leo tries to intercept her, but Julia steps in and lets him know she invited Courtney. At the table, Courtney is overwhelmed by the thoughts of everyone around her. She gets up abruptly and tries to address the questions and nastiness she’s hearing.

She runs out and runs into Javier. She gives him her caramels and takes off.

Javier, feeling hungry, eats a caramel and heads to the bar. He realizes he’s reading the minds of the people around him.

Courtney knocks on Julia’s door, thinking she’s about to be fired. Julia welcomes her and tells her she needs to keep doing what she’s doing.

Courtney tells her she has a pitch to share. Julia says she’ll give her a slot on the pitch day. In her thoughts, Julia’s praying one of the pitches will keep the company out of bankruptcy. She’s also unkind about Courtney’s nails and hair.

Courtney’s elated to be able to pitch her idea.

Javier brings the caramels to Elena and admits he ate one. She’s extremely self-conscious that she’d been thinking about ripping his shirt off and advises him to take it easy somewhere alone and the effect will wear off by morning.

As he’s leaving, she thinks “I love you” and he hears it.

In the morning, Courtney tracks her down to get her caramels back. Elena says that giving them up was her choice and this is her new path. Courtney insists she needs to know what Julia’s thinking so if she hates the initial pitch, Courtney can pivot. Elena directs her to turn around and walk down the beach.

As she walks down the beach and finds a trail of Christmas ornaments leading to the scene she described to Julia from when Alexis was three and she couldn’t afford a Christmas tree. Her boss let her and Alexis come into the store where she worked so they could open presents under the big store tree.

As she’s watching the scene play out, Alexis as a seventeen year old appears at her side. She tells Courtney that Christmas is still her favorite Christmas memory. She reminds her mother she makes magic without mindreading caramels.

Buoyed by the pep talk, Courtney goes to work on her pitch.

As she heads into her pitch session, Mason exits, feeling like he nailed it. Leo escorts her in with his usual laconic condescension.

Courtney pitches a return to Seed & Spear’s corporate roots, the farm box, only this time priced for accessibility, for everyday people. She provides the numbers and Julia and Leo dismiss her. Not being able to hear their thoughts, she suffers self-doubt. She leaves, missing the meaningful look Julia shoots at Leo.

Ruby confronts Isla about the feud between the Roarkes and the mermaids. Isla says she didn’t tell her because their relationship is about them and no one else. They kiss and Isla tells her to take all the time she needs to decide.

In her room, Courtney is pacing. Julia knocks on her door and once she’s inside, she explains to Courtney that she’s firing her because Courtney’s an idealist while Julia’s a pragmatist.

Elena knocks on Courtney’s door where Courtney’s buried herself in her bed. Elena points out that this doesn’t have to be a failure. She asks Courtney what she’d tell Alexis if she had a setback like this. Her advice is what Courtney would say to Alexis – believe in herself, hold her head high, and move on with dignity.

Elena seeks out Javier. She expresses her concerns about Isla’s effect on Ruby. She voices her suspicion that Isla is stealing Ruby’s memories so she’ll choose to go to the ocean with her.

She gives Javier the caramels and asks him to find out.

Courtney’s packing to leave when Mason comes by to tell her to leave the box of corporate stress balls in Julia’s suite. He crows about Courtney’s dismissal and failed pitch. Courtney tells him he sucks and closes the door in his face.

Javier’s sitting at lunch with Ruby whose mind has no thoughts, only Isla’s music.

Courtney drops the box off in Julia’s suite and finds a notebook on the pile of pitch proposals. She takes a look and storms out of the room.

She rings the gong at the corporate meditation activity and confronts Julia publicly about how the company is in trouble and provides proof that she’s stolen Courtney’s idea and fired her so she can take credit for it.

Leo admits he gave Mason the key to give Courtney, providing her with the opportunity to uncover Julia’s plan. He tells Julia he’s done covering for her. He and Courtney form a partnership.

Elena and Ruby are at the dock when Leo joins Courtney for the flight to the mainland as he is no longer welcome on the corporate jet.

Elena excuses herself to speak with Javier. He reports that Ruby’s thoughts are devoid of any memories of her life before the Island. Elena has one possible way to fix things. Javier supports whatever she needs to do. He also tells her he loves her too.

In the evening, Elena makes a phone call to Ruby’s daughter.