The budding romance between Dr. Covey and Ms. Rothschild

The budding romance between Dr. Covey and Ms. Rothschild takes shape through a small, deliberate act of matchmaking: Lara Jean and Kitty encourage Daddy to ask Trina Rothschild out, and Lara Jean confirms that Trina would say yes. Their connection is presented as a promising possibility rather than an established relationship. The daughters’ efforts bring mutual interest into the open, but the final step remains Daddy’s to take.

A Possibility Rooted in Familiarity

Trina is already part of the family’s nearby social world. She lives close to Daddy, Kitty likes her, and the girls have spent time with her; Kitty mentions learning to make latke cakes at Sophie’s mother’s. The familiarity gives Lara Jean and Kitty concrete reasons to imagine Trina as someone who might fit into their father’s life, while also making the prospect of dating her more complicated for Daddy.

The family’s shared routines offer a glimpse of what makes the possibility attractive to the girls. Kitty suggests inviting Trina over because her weekends are lonely too. Daddy imagines that Trina would have better things to do than watch The Sound of Music with her neighbor, but Lara Jean counters that tacos al pastor—and Daddy himself—could make the invitation appealing. Their teasing does not establish that Trina has already joined the family for these occasions; instead, it turns familiar details into a case for asking.

Lara Jean and Trina’s Conversation

Lara Jean’s confidence comes partly from a private conversation with Trina about grief. Lara Jean describes how Margot’s voice can briefly sound like their late mother’s when Margot calls from downstairs or announces that dinner is ready. The resemblance catches Lara Jean off guard and brings tears to her eyes. Trina responds by sharing that losing a mother can leave a person feeling orphaned even in adulthood, and that grief may persist because the love was real.

That exchange moves Lara Jean to consider her own hurt over Peter Kavinsky. She wonders whether the pain means that their love was real, then acknowledges that it still hurts. Rather than treating grief as a problem with a neat solution, the conversation gives her a way to understand continuing pain as bound up with love. In the same emotional moment, Lara Jean turns to the question of her father: she asks Trina to confirm that, if Daddy asked her out, she would accept. Trina answers yes. The budding romance therefore emerges alongside a conversation about loss, not as a replacement for it; Lara Jean’s hope for her father’s companionship exists within a family still shaped by their mother’s absence.

The Daughters’ Persuasion

The possibility becomes an explicit proposal during a family conversation. Lara Jean tells Daddy that he should be going on dates, then points out that he has gone on only about two dates ever. Her suggestion is specific: Trina is cute, has a good job, is liked by Kitty, and lives nearby. Kitty adds that Trina’s weekends are lonely, presenting an invitation as something that might benefit both adults.

Daddy resists on practical grounds. Because Trina is a neighbor, he worries that dating her could become awkward if the relationship did not work out: they would still have to see one another. Kitty rephrases his concern with a childish euphemism, turning his caution into a joke. The humor softens the resistance but does not erase it; Daddy has named a genuine risk of pursuing someone in his immediate everyday circle.

Kitty continues the campaign physically as well as verbally, putting her arms around Daddy’s waist and urging him to think about tacos, nuns, Nazis, and Trina. The list draws on the family’s enthusiasm for The Sound of Music, making the movie part of the girls’ playful pitch. Daddy remains hesitant, saying that Trina probably has plans. Lara Jean then reveals the decisive information: Trina has already told her that she would say yes if Daddy asked. Daddy is startled and checks whether Lara Jean is sure; she says she is positive.

An Invitation, Not Yet a Relationship

Once he learns that Trina is receptive, Daddy allows that he might ask her out for coffee or a drink. He specifically sets aside The Sound of Music as too long for a first date, a practical adjustment that marks a shift from resisting the idea to considering how to begin. Kitty and Lara Jean whoop and high-five, celebrating the prospect together. Their reaction makes clear how invested they are in the possibility, while Daddy’s tentative phrasing keeps the outcome open: no invitation or date is shown taking place.

The scene gives the developing connection its first reciprocal foundation. Lara Jean and Kitty have reasons to think Trina could be a welcome presence, Trina has expressed willingness to go out with Daddy, and Daddy is now considering asking. At the same time, the story preserves the distinction between hope and commitment. His concern about the neighborly proximity remains part of the situation, and the promised coffee or drink is only a possible first date. The romance begins not with a declaration between the adults but with the daughters’ encouragement, Trina’s reported yes, and Daddy’s first willingness to act.