The narrator realizes that his employer was annoyed by his request for two days off because they coincided with the weekend, creating a four-day break following his mother's funeral. After waking up tired, he decides to visit the municipal baths, where he unexpectedly meets Marie Cardona, a former office typist. They swim together, flirt on a floating buoy, and make plans to see a comedy film that evening. When Marie notices his black tie and learns that his mother died just the day before, she is momentarily surprised but quickly moves past it, enjoying the rest of the date before spending the night at his apartment.
The following day, a Sunday, Marie leaves early for her aunt's house, and the narrator spends the morning alone in bed smoking cigarettes. Rel avoiding social contact at his usual restaurant, he prepares a simple meal in his apartment, which now feels too large and empty since his mother's death. To pass the time, he reads an old newspaper, cuts out an advertisement, and eventually positions his chair on the balcony to watch the neighborhood activities throughout the afternoon.
From his vantage point, he observes the rhythmic flow of weekend life, including families taking walks, groups of young people heading to the cinema, and sports fans returning from the stadium on crowded trams. As evening falls, the streets fill with returning moviegoers, couples flirting, and the sudden glow of streetlamps reflecting on the damp pavement. After watching the neighborhood gradually empty out into the night, he prepares a quick dinner and reflects that another Sunday has passed, his mother is buried, work will resume, and ultimately nothing has changed.