In the opening of Episode 2 of "It's Not Like That," a flashback is presented, revealing a pregnant Jenny and an overjoyed Lori. They keep their news a secret as the two families gather for lunch, with the children depicted as much younger, including a toddler Penelope. David leads the charge in saying grace, and as the camera zooms out, we cut to the present, where the children are older and notably, David is absent. An unspoken tension also exists between Lori and Malcolm.
When David finally arrives, he takes Lori aside to discuss spending more time with his children. He hopes to change the schedule to smooth things over with both Merritt and Casey. Lori agrees it's a good idea but warns that the kids don't like the extended hotel he's staying at and needs him to find a more permanent solution. She emphasizes that giving them false hope needs to be nipped in the bud.
The children are not exactly enthusiastic about the arrangement, especially when Merritt and David clash over sports in the car. David clearly wants Merritt to get involved in something, but Merritt believes David is projecting his own dreams onto him and pushes away.
Meanwhile, Malcolm and Lori wash up but don't get a chance to talk since Justin is here baking cupcakes again. Instead, Lori decides to confront Cuppa Joe, but she can't find the words. Gail tries her best to play matchmaker at work, but Lori admits that she ended up kissing Malcolm. As they gossip, Lori explains how confused she is over this whole situation and how she and Malcolm are vibing right now.
Eventually, Lori and Malcolm do talk that afternoon, with the pair hashing out their differences. Lori thinks it was a mistake and certainly doesn't want to risk their friendship for something that may not work out.
With the matter resolved, Lori takes the leap and decides to meet with this Cuppa Joe guy. They head for drinks together that night, and everything seems to be going well between them. However, that's until it's time to say goodbye and he leans in to kiss her. She turns slightly and lets him kiss her on the cheek.
On the other hand, Casey is forced to go on a hang-out with Dakota, Pen, and the other girls. They all make fun of her, teasing Casey about how she fancies Trevor, the boy she's been wrestling with. In the end, she stands up and storms off.
Meanwhile, Merritt winds up getting closer to Flora. He convinces her not to go to therapy and to hang out instead. Unfortunately, when Malcolm finds out, he's worried. Along with skipping the therapy appointment, he also finds scissors in her room and suspects the worst.
Eventually, Flora opens up to her father and explains what she's been doing. Malcolm is disappointed though, given her lies, and struggles with Flora turning away from faith and God. When Pen heads home, frustrated at Casey running off earlier, it only compounds the problems these two girls are facing. A good chat with Lori seems to do the trick though, as Casey comes back all-guns-blazing and takes down Trevor, putting the kid right in his place.
Unfortunately, poor Justin isn't finding it any easier at school. He's bullied by that kid from episode 1 and has no one to turn to. He winds up suffering in silence. After school, Justin is confronted by the bully who starts beating him down. Pen watches as he's beaten down, not saying a word, before Casey jumps in and protects Justin. That night, Pen apologizes to Justin and explains that she was worried and scared. She apologizes for freezing and agrees that Casey is a badass.
After school, Flora opens up to Merritt and shows off some scars on her arm. She's been suicidal in the past after Jenny's death and right now she's in a difficult position. She's thinking of writing about it for her English assignment, while Merritt offers some encouraging words.
That night, Flora summoned the courage to speak with Malcolm about her feelings. She agreed to continue seeing her therapist but only twice a month, and in the meantime, she vowed to use writing as her outlet for expression. As for Merritt, he immediately took to drumming, while Justin began doing sit-ups to get stronger.
Malcolm headed over to see Lori and decided to tell her exactly how he felt. That kiss had made him feel alive, more so than he ever had before. It caught Lori completely off guard. The thing was, Merritt was just around the corner and he overhears the whole conversation.
(Note: The original text already conveys the meaning quite clearly, but I've tried to add some descriptive details and emotional depth to make the scene more vivid.)
