User:Hazelmw/It Starts with Us

Plot
The love story continues with Atlas Corrigan and Lily Bloom through It Starts with Us nearly a year after their last encounter. Lily's daughter Emerson, who she had with the father and neurosurgeon, Ryle Kincaid, is 11 months old now. Lily and Atlas run into each other unexpectedly on the streets of Boston but the encounter is short due to both of them running late to different events and Lily being nervous about Atlas being around Emmy without Ryle's approval. After dropping Emmy off at Ryle's apartment, Lily returns to work unable to stop thinking about her run-in with Atlas. However, she is hesitant to text Atlas anticipating the likely reaction of the father of her child. The father, Ryle, was abusive in their past marriage on a number of occasions as can be read in It End with Us. She also thinks it may be worse because Ryle is under the impression that Atlas was a huge reason that their marriage ended.

Unable to shake the encounter with Lily, Atlas talks to his coworker/friend's son, Theo, about what happened. Theo encourages him to text her, but when Lily responds rather shortly, Atlas gets disappointed. When Lily returns to her apartment that evening she finds her ex-husband and daughter inside. He reveals he wants to start having overnights with Emmy. She says Emmy will not be allowed to stay at Ryle's apartment overnight until she is able to speak. She also asks for her apartment key back that Ryle had, which he begrudgingly gives up.

Atlas deals with his restaurants being vandalized but chooses not to report it to the police because he discovers some food missing. He relates to the vandal because he too was once a hungry homeless kid. When inspecting some of the vandalism he receives a call from his perverse mother who he hangs up on and immediately blocks.

Atlas brings lunch for Lily to her flower shop. While he's there, Ryle comes unannounced, and Lily gets nervous about his reaction to seeing Atlas there, so she hides Atlas in a closet. After Ryle leaves, Atlas and Lily agree to talk on the phone later. While on the phone later, Atlas asks Lily on a date and she agrees. While on the drive to the restaurant where their date is, Lily falls asleep. Instead of waking her up, Atlas occupies himself by reading some of the journal entries she wrote about young Atlas, addressed to Ellen DeGeneres, when they were together as kids. When Lily awakens she finds out they missed their reservation and feels bad.

Before leaving for her date Lily left her daughter with her best friend which is also Ryle's sister, Allysa. When Lily returns from the date Ryle is there with Emerson watching Finding Nemo. Ryle is angry because he gets under the impression that Emerson's middle name, Dory, is dedicated to Atlas because of the significance the movie was to them when they were children.

Atlas's mother, Sutton, shows up at one of his restaurants revealing to him that he has a brother named Josh and she can't find him. Later that night he waits at one of his restaurants to confront the vandal if he/she returns. The vandal does returns and Atlas discovers it is his 11-year-old brother. Atlas takes him in but calls Sutton the next day. Atlas returns Josh to his mother but before he leaves he sees Sutton abuse Josh. Atlas immediately takes Josh back to his house.

Atlas brings Lily lunch again, a few days later. While there Lily invites him to a wedding. When Atlas picks Lily up for the wedding he notices the heart tattoo on her collarbone. They have their first kiss after she tells him he was the reason she got the tattoo. After the wedding, they return and have sex. Atlas has to leave in the morning because Josh is at his house so he leaves Lily a note. Ryle shows up at Lily's apartment and sees undergarments around her living room. Ryle gets jealous and angry and pushes Lily. Lily gets scared and picks up Emmy from Lily's mother where she stayed that night. She and Emmy go to Atlas's house.