The second episode of Ripple commences with Walter weaving a tale of the romantic allure of tunnels, a backdrop against which Matteo, a dedicated worker, is toiling away. As his wife's voice on the phone brings him the joyous news of their impending arrival, he rushes to her side, leaving Walter's musings on an unfathomable love in the background.
Meanwhile, Kris's disappointment mounts as Aria fails to show up. She follows John to their home, only to find it deserted, with Aria's phone as the only clue left behind. As John opens up about their recent struggles and confides in Kris about Aria's decision to give up music for family, the two ponder if they pushed Aria too hard, too fast. They decide that helping Aria rediscover her talent might be the key.
In New Jersey, Aria wakes up the next day to realize she never called John. Her mother welcomes her home with fond memories of Aria's love for music in her youth. However, the breakfast conversation takes a somber turn when Aria brings up her father.
It emerges that Aria's dad passed away when she was young, and her mother isn't fond of discussing him. All Aria knows is that he was a talented musician with a tattoo.
Back in New York, Ellis shows Nate her new picture, eager to give it to Rebecca, her partner. Nate asks her to cover his afternoon shift, and Ellis extends an offer for him to stay at her place since he's currently residing at the bar. Nate politely declines the offer.
On the other side of town, Walter grows increasingly frustrated as he searches for his laptop charger, realizing he has no water since Brenda used to pay all their utility bills. Unfortunately, he's unable to locate the charger and turns to Tara for assistance.
In the afternoon, Nate and Claire visit the doctor for Nate's prognosis. Claire, eager to help Nate navigate this challenging time, quickly settles into her role but is out of sync with his desires. Nate only wanted her for moral support, so she suggests reaching out to Anna and his parents. Nate is against this idea. She also suggests postponing their divorce, but Nate isn't open to that either.
As Kris embarks on her job interview at the promising and youthful record label, she feels more disoriented than ever before. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Finn settles in for her chemotherapy session, accompanied by her dad as the nurse shows her around. Unfortunately, the city's water main breaks, causing widespread flooding that disrupts Claire's shift, leaving her to entrust Nate with starting his first chemotherapy session on his own.
Upon arriving at Walter's place, Tara narrates her breakdown at a Target store after her wife's death, suspecting that Walter's frustration is not just about the laptop but the fact that he won't have the chance to grow old with his wife. She offers to take him to get a new laptop charger, but during the process, Tara experiences a claustrophobic attack in the store. However, it fades away as the cute store attendant starts flirting with her, convincing her to buy new earphones and introducing her to a new musician named Orion. Unfortunately, Tara gets a call and leaves Walter behind to pay for the charger. On his way out, the store clerk gives him her phone number to give to Tara.
Meanwhile, John runs into the blonde he was with at Nate's bar, who thanks him for a considerate gift but quickly puts up walls between them. Kris receives an invitation to a listening party during another job interview. In the meantime, Aria runs into Kris and asks for a second chance. Kris comes clean about how she discovered Aria at the park and encourages her to believe in herself.
At the hospital, Nate runs into Matteo holding his baby for the first time and randomly congratulates him. As he waits, he starts a conversation with Finn. Kris calls to ask if Aria can perform that night, and Finn advises Nate not to lie to his daughter, suggesting broaching the truth in a reassuring way. After buying the laptop charger, Tara and Walter take a walk in the park, joined by Ellis who calls to ask for his help at the bar. In exchange for his assistance, she offers him free food and wine, inviting Tara along too.
In the evening, Aria musters up some courage to perform, but Kris's interview runs late, causing her to miss the performance. Fortunately, Aria kills it, and John is so proud of her. The performance inspires Aria to believe in herself more. Kris arrives and promises Aria a chance to join the music industry, thankfully Nate recorded the performance for her.
At the end of the day, Kris and Nate bond over doing nothing together. At home, Aria goes over some photos she's found at her mom's place. John comments on the cool tattoo one of the men sports in the photo, but unfortunately, a guitar obscures the man's face. The scene then cuts to Tara listening to Orion's music, with the album cover featuring a man sporting the same tattoo as in Aria's pictures. At Walter's house, he finds the laptop charger while watering his plants. The episode ends with Nate and Kris walking together, their version of doing nothing together!
