Summary

In Chapter One, the narrator (whose name is later revealed as Paige) explains the morning “system” that she and her husband formerly followed (1). After waking, Jesse made coffee, while his wife showered. They dressed before waking up their son Trey. After breakfast, the couple greeted their cranky neighbor, kissed, and then drove away separately. Their life was “perfect” until Jesse died from an automobile accident two years ago (2).

There is a page break. The narrator (“I”) snoozed her alarm clock. Trey hit their shared wall, telling his mother to wake up. She instructed him to shower first; their “elderly hot water heater” could only support one shower in use at a single time (2). Paige fell back asleep. Trey suddenly yelled out: “MOM! It’s freezing!” (3). Paige rose from bed and announced that she would call someone to fix the problem. Trey emerged from...