Let's discuss how completely and beautifully in love Alex is in this scene. (Alex is so in love he could die.) Gorgeous acting by Taylor here, for one. His hooded eyes, looking out the window, thinking of Henry, I can feel his heart's yearning for him just jumping right off the screen. That deep sigh, the dreamy thoughts you know he's having. You can see that he's clearly changed now. Henry has helped him know himself better. He has given Alex so much during their Paris trip. Alex, I think, can still feel Henry with him, and if it weren't for the distance growing and not knowing when they'll be able to see one another again, this would be Alex at peace, quite possibly for the first time in his entire life. Or, rather it's as close as he's ever gotten, with the exception of when he joined his body with Henry's.
I know this isn't the beginning of the vacation, but given that I'm about to leave for the airport, I thought it fitting to start with this sweet scene.
And a bonus scene:
RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE (2023) dir. Matthew Lopez
Now we have Alex getting ready for the vacation, knowing he's going to see Henry and being so excited to open this box that contains all the pieces of himself that he gets to be, when he's allowed to just be Alex. There's a lot of intense emotions I think are wrapped up here with him getting that box out and all the things inside that are what he eventually takes to Texas. He looks so free and excited, not only to be at the lake house but to show Henry this side of himself.