The Christmas season marks the anniversary of Nathaniel's death...and gets everyone thinking about their last moments with him. Meanwhile, Nate and Brenda are shocked by Margaret Chenowith's Christmas Eve guest, Claire gets into a dangerous online relationship and Federico stirs up trouble in his own family.

David and Rico are at odds over doing business with the family of a deceased telemarketer, Claire finds she has more in common with a fellow art student named Russell than with Phil, and Ruth meets a new friend, Bettina. Meanwhile, David and Keith get a taste of a different kind of family life and Carol continues to make life miserable for Lisa.

A bee sting during a family picnic ends a life. Nate tends to Maya while Lisa visits her sister in Santa Cruz. Meanwhile, Vanessa seems back to her old self, to Rico's relief; Russell's decision to share a secret with Claire backfires; Arthur wonders whether he should be mixing laundry with Ruth; and David gets a look at another dysfunctional family.

With Keith out of town on business, David gets taken for a ride by a hitchhiker. Meanwhile, Nate feels out of place in a bereavement group, Ruth tries to play matchmaker--to George's chagrin, Claire feels empty after a critique of her self-portraits, Brenda and her mom go back to school, and Federico gets an unexpected visitor at work.

Ruth is giddy about going to a tantric workshop with George, who retreats to the family's emergency shelter. Meanwhile, David's last bite at a sushi restaurant threatens to cost him--and Keith--a lot more than the bill; Nate drops a bomb on Barb, which sparks a counterattack; Claire fights Russell over credit for her latest photos; Margaret's hospital stay helps Brenda and Billy begin to heal their rift; and Vanessa shows she can beat Federico at his own game.

Nate hangs with some high-school friends but finds that, as adults, they share little more than teenage memories; Ruth gets relief from George's daughter Maggie; Brenda is reluctant to accept Margaret's help and struggles in her new internship; David and Keith's latest baby dream starts to resemble a nightmare; Claire bemoans being pigeonholed by her art; Billy defends his career but secretly wonders what happened to his old self; and Rico, mortified that he couldn't take a dating hint, seeks sympathy from Vanessa.

A young Latina's funeral raises questions about the culture--and future--of Fisher and Diaz. Meanwhile, David and Keith are upset when they're not in the driver's seat; Claire takes her co-worker Ted to an art school show; Brenda gets vital info from her doctor--and from Jackie; and Ruth goes out for some pampering and gets more than she paid for.